The Curse of Dr Zola
by CTpoetgirl63
Summary: Instead of being rescued by Captain America, as in the MCU, Bucky is removed from the custody of Dr. Zola by a mysterious woman.
1. Chapter 1

The Curse of Dr. Zola

Chapter 1

The Lieutenant raised his hands over his head. "We surrender."

Surrounding them were Nazi soldiers, the likes of which Bucky had never seen before; none of them had. Rifles were pointed at this group of men from the 107th from all sides. They had become separated from the main group in the battle.

They weren't in typical Nazi uniforms, but still, they had Nazi symbols on their sleeves, along with some odd looking thing on a second patch.

"You are ze ranking soldier?"

"Yes, I'm in charge."

A shot rang out and the Lieutenant fell to the cold ground, dead. The unit flinched in unison, ducking down into crouches, as smoke rose from the gun barrel. They all had the same horrified looks on their faces.

"But, but, he said we surrender." One young soldier squeaked out.

"HYDRA does not take prisoners."

 _HYDRA? What the hell is HYDRA?_ Bucky thought. But that was as far as his thoughts got.

"Ve do have a need for all ze rest." The German turned to his men and swept his arm. "Get zem chained up, and get zem marching back to camp."

The men of the 107th were chained together by their ankles and forced to march in line behind a troop truck. The lead man was chained to the truck itself. A soldier sat in the back of the rig with a rifle pointed at the line, while other soldiers sat and rode. The rest walked alongside the captured men, rifles at the ready.

Bucky couldn't see their faces. The headgear they wore covered the whole face. None of them spoke, except the one who had murdered their officer in cold blood. Bucky was very angry.

After 30 miles of marching much of that anger wore off. He was cold, and tired, as they all were.

The Nazis would at least stop occasionally, to transfer those who were walking to the truck to spell them. This was the only time the 107th got a break to rest for a few moments, or urinate. Those unfortunate enough that had to do more than pee had to do it squatting down in full view.

Camp finally came into view. Camp was not the word Bucky would have used. It was a building, a very large building.

The truck stopped and the ranking officer went ahead to speak with the guard at the barb wired front gate. The fence it was attached to had to be 15 feet high, and every foot was meshed with barbed wire.

The gate opened and the truck lurched forward, dragging behind it a line of weary soldiers.

When the truck stopped at last, the chain was unhitched and the men were led inside. A row of circular barren cells were quickly filled with men. An adjacent row was already filled with prisoners. They were separated into groups of 6 men per cell; Bucky was in the middle, so they didn't get to him for a bit.

As the soldiers stepped up in line they were asked for their ranks, and then scuttled off accordingly.

"Rank?"

"Sergeant."

Bucky was unhitched and shuffled off to a cell. He was as exhausted as the rest and fell to the floor in a heap.

As there were no bunks, they lay themselves in a circle on the floor to rest their heads upon one another. The floor was hard and dirty, but not as cold as Bucky had expected.

"Hey Sarge?"

"Yeah?"

"How far do you think we marched?"

"Too damn far, get some rest."

The young man quieted down and rested his head.

Bucky breathed a tired sigh. His stomach rumbled, but sleep called his name much more powerfully, and he dozed off for a while.

He woke with a start from someone kicking him in the back. "What the hell?" A Nazi soldier stared down at him.

"It looks like feeding time Sarge."

Bucky looked in the direction of the cell door and saw that bowls of something were being passed to the men. He stood and accepted the one offered him. It contained a watery stew of sorts. Without utensils, the stew had to be slurped from the bowl. It was lukewarm at best, but Bucky didn't argue, he slurped down his stew as did the rest of the men.

When they were done, the bowls were collected and one Nazi came by giving instructions.

One by one, each cell was opened and the men within were escorted by armed Nazi's somewhere. Bucky soon discovered where. It was a factory, and work benches had been set up. Each in the group was shackled to one of 6 spots at a bench by the ankle. There were no seats. They were given instructions on how to complete their jobs, and expected to work. Satisfactory work was rewarded by food; unsatisfactory work was rewarded by punishment.

The men were returned to their respective cells at the end of the day, and they slept til dawn. A new day of work began and each day was long. They were worked each day for 12 hours, with minimal down time for bathroom breaks and meals. Meals were eaten at the benches sitting on the factory floor, the same watery stew every day.

The first escape attempt plot was whispered back and forth, and it met with disastrous results. The men who made the attempt were blasted into oblivion, much to the horror of those that witnessed it. Blue flames, not bullets, emanated from the rifles and the men simply vanished into nothingness!

The lead Nazi made them all stand at attention for hours while he lectured them on the hopelessness of escape; furthermore they had to make up that time working.

"Starting tomorrow, you vill all vork an additional hour to make up for ze loss of your comrades. Anyone caught trying to escape vill be killed on the spot. Anyone who falls behind their vork schedule vill be punished by reduced rations and beaten. You vill then be required to finish all your vork before being allowed back to your cell. Is zat clear?"

The reply he received from the men was low mumbles of assent.

"Good, now get back to vork."

As soon as he strolled out of earshot, the man closest to Bucky whispered to him. "What are we going to do Sarge?"

"I don't know, just bide our time for now until we can come up with something."


	2. Chapter 2

Please be advised, this chapter contains scenes/descriptions of mild to moderate torture.

The Curse of Dr. Zola

Chapter 2

Over the course of the next several weeks, long hours, poor sleep, and less than satisfying food began to take its toll on the men.

They were tired, achy, and hungry. Some were beaten as a result of falling behind. Some of the men were removed from the cells individually, never to return.

As Bucky's group settled in for the night he was again asked what they were going to do.

"How are we gonna get out of here Sarge?"

"I don't know."

"Where do you think they took those men?"

"Another part of the factory, maybe…" Bucky answered, after a moment's hesitation.

"Are they gonna come back?"

"I don't think so."

"I'm tired Sarge."

"I know so am I."

"Will you girls settle down so the rest of us can get some sleep? Tomorrow is gonna be another long day."

The chattering stopped and the men settled into an uneasy sleep.

At 3AM, the cell door to Bucky's group was unlocked. Soldiers came in and pointed to him. "This one!" They rousted him out of sleep and escorted him out. They were none too gentle with him. He tried to fight back and resist, but several punches to his stomach left him gasping for breath on his knees.

He was yanked back to his feet and forced to go on. With his feet half under him, he was half walked and half dragged to the other side of the building. He observed the path they took and tried to remember it by playing it over in his mind. Finally, they came to a stop and Bucky was pushed forcefully thru a doorway. The door swung shut behind him before he could get back to it. He banged on the door, shouting to be let out.

When the lights went out, he paused, uncertain and anxious. It was pitch black in there and he was alone. He began pounding again. He pounded until his arms ached. He turned his back to the wall, and slid to the floor.

When he was rested, he began exploring his new cell, feeling his way around. He'd had only a brief second or two before the lights went out. Now, he tried to remember how big the room was. He stood up and counted off paces; 12 x 12. He felt along the walls, retraced his steps and counted again, trying to keep his bearings. He wanted to make sure he kept the wall with the door firmly placed in his mind.

He had no way to tell how many hours had gone by, but he knew enough time had passed that he now had to pee. His initial adrenaline had subsided as well. He held out as long as he could, pounding on the door intermittently and shouting for help. Finally, he crossed to the furthest corner and relieved his discomfort. The pain of holding it for so long stopped at last. He went back to the wall with the door and sat on the floor.

To pass the time, he thought of home; what were his parents doing, what trouble was Steve into, how would Steve get along without Bucky there to bail him out, had he given up trying to enlist, what about the rest of the 107th, had any more men been taken away like he had been, was this what the others had gone thru when they were taken away…he shuddered…what was to come next?

He tried to get comfortable lying down, might as well conserve his strength while he had the time. He dozed off after a while and dreamt of home.

The lights came on and blinded him. He felt hands grabbing at him, pulling on him, forcing him to his feet and out of the room. He was just about getting his vision to where he could see as they were forcing him onto a gurney and strapping him down. He fought back, trying to get away. Several blows knocked him to his knees again, but still he kept fighting. A blow to the back of his head finally put him down.

When he woke, he was tightly strapped to a gurney. He struggled without success.

Footfalls sounded, and Bucky stretched his neck to determine the source. A man's face came into view.

"Hello Sergeant Barnes."

He was a small man, older, with glasses, and he spoke with an accent.

"You are going to be my guest here for some time, get used to it, but before we begin, my friends have some questions to ask you."

The little man left and was replaced by some burly looking soldiers. They began questioning him. All Bucky would give them for information was his name, rank, and serial number.

They shone hot, bright lights in his face. They repeated their questions over and over. They would not let him eat, drink or sleep. They poked at him, shook him; kept at him for hours. They spun the gurney around and around until Bucky threw up what little his stomach held. He'd soiled himself as well, he couldn't help it.

He was exhausted when they brought him back to the cell cleaned up, but naked. A tray of food had been left, and his urine had been cleaned from the corner. A bucket now stood there. Bucky could barely pick his head up from the floor. He slept, or passed out, he didn't know which, but when he woke, he ate the food, and used the bucket. His clothes had been laundered, and left while he'd slept. He put them on and tried to get some more sleep. He no longer knew if it were daytime or night.

The lights went out for a couple of hours, and then back on. The routine began again. Blinded, he was dragged back to questioning, back to the gurney, back to being spun around….


	3. Chapter 3

The Curse of Dr. Zola

Chapter 3

Days later…

"Barnes…James…Buchanan….sergeant…" he trailed off, but there was no one there to even care. The soldiers had left. He was sweaty, dirty, exhausted, and still strapped down to the gurney. Voices echoed in the hallway. They drifted thru his tired mind like a dream. A shout stirred him. He tried to pay more attention now, tried to focus his addled brain.

Faces peered at him. He tried to force his eyes to see clearly. The voices were speaking in front of him.

"I have papers signed by ze Fuhrer himself! I am to have access to all of your prisoners, and to take as many as are required. You can alvays get more!"

The faces peered at him again, blurry images. He tried smiling, just so happy to be stationary and not be spun around. Now, he knew what Steve felt like on the roller coaster at Coney Island. "Steve?"

"I vill take this one as vell as those from the factory."

"But, but…this one is showing the most promise…"

Bucky heard the rattling of papers again, and nothing else. He passed out.

"You vill give me some of ze serum. I vill administer it myself, when and if I deem it necessary."

She looked around as her team of men gathered up those soldiers she had hand selected, and watched as they got the men secured in the back of the truck. Silently, she kept up her chant. _Hurry up, hurry up. We have to get out of here before someone realizes those papers are fake!_

Outwardly, her expression and body language gave the impression that she was a seasoned Nazi Officer.

She held a riding crop in her right hand and as the men marched past she gave every other one a brisk tap.

Four men went back in and carried SSgt. James Buchanan Barnes out to the truck and dumped him unceremoniously onto its' floor. His head banged on the floorboards, but he was so out of it, he didn't seem to notice.

Dr. Zola frowned, as he watched his guinea pig leave on the back of the truck until it left his view. He stood a moment longer, having been cheated out of his prize. He huffed angrily. _She has no right! He was mine! All the effort we put into him…wasted._ He thought of the agents sent to New York to scout out potential targets.

He turned and walked back to the factory, the papers she left with him in an envelope he had secured to his clipboard. _The Fuhrer was listening to women now?_ He started to open the envelope to give these papers a better look, when a guard came up to give him a report on how the weapons production was going.

"Oh, no, no, no, dis vill never do. Have you shown these to Herr Schmidt yet?"

The question was answered when Johann Schmidt strode down the factory floor looking upset.

"Vhat is de meaning of dis?! Production is down! I vant veapons, and I vant zem-NOW!"

"I don't know how much more strength the prisoners have left."

"I don't care. Vork them to death if you must, there are alvays more vorkers."

"Yes sir. Have you seen…" He let the sentence trail off. "Never mind."

Exasperated, Schmidt gave him a glance. "Vhat is it?"

"It is nothing. I vill take care of the weapons production schedule."

"Good." Schimdt stomped away.

Another person approached to ask for a signature and Zola waved him away angrily.

Zola walked up and down the rows of the factory. He scrutinized every worker with a keen eye, and made notes on his clipboard. The soldiers kept their heads down and dreaded whenever he came by, but today he was in an especially nasty mood, and no one wanted to be "noticed".

Occasionally, Zola stopped and demanded to see the dog tags of a soldier, scribbled a hasty note on his papers and moved on.

Dr. Zola moved onto the sick ward next. He inspected the dog tags at random. No one was "exempt" until he marked it so in his file. Of course, when someone expired, he made a note of that too.

Finished with the rounds, he finally went to his personal lab and sat down to examine those papers much more intently. The more he looked at it, the more he realized something was wrong. And then it hit him! He let out a long howl of rage that echoed down the halls. It was a trick! He had been fooled. And now both his prize subject and a hefty amount of serum were gone! In a rage, he threw his clipboard across the room, narrowly missing the newest subject on the gurney…


	4. Chapter 4

The Curse of Dr. Zola

Interlude

Bucky and Steve exited the ride they had just been on at Rockaway Beach. Steve was holding one hand over his stomach, while Bucky had a big smile on his face.

He clapped his hand on Steve's back. "That was a great ride, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, fun." The expression on Steve's face said otherwise.

Fresh from the exhilaration, Bucky felt like he could conquer the world! The sun was bright, the air just warm enough with just the right amount of breeze blowing. It was a perfect day!

He looked over at his friend. "Aw, Stevie, it wasn't that bad, was it?"

"No, not that bad." Steve lied to Bucky, but Bucky could see it in his face.

"Come on, let's find you a seat." Bucky led him over to an unoccupied bench so Steve could get a grip on himself. They sat down and made themselves comfortable. The benches weren't exactly designed for comfort, but it was their only option.

"It's a great day, isn't it?" Bucky beamed as he scanned their surroundings.

"Yeah, the weather is great."

"We picked a great day to come, yes, we did indeed." Bucky scooted forward a bit, and then leaned back. He stretched out his long legs, and tilted his head back to enjoy the warmth of the sun. He spread out his arms across the top of the bench and smiled.

Across the way, a red headed woman watched them.

She was tall; 5'7", with sparkling eyes that caught every nuance of Bucky's body language. She wore the bright red lipstick that was all the rage among young women in New York. She rubbed her lips together subconsciously, as she took in the sight of James Buchanan Barnes.

She'd received the dossier on him just a few weeks before and studied it. Since then she knew where he lived, worked and played. She knew who his friends were.

She watched as Bucky stood up, said something to his little friend and walked away.

When he got in line at the concession stand, she got up and sauntered her way behind him in line.

"Hot today, isn't it?"

Bucky turned. She smiled at him as she wiped at her brow.

He smiled back. "It's really nice."

She gave him a shy glance, another smile, and fidgeted on the balls of her feet.

It worked…

They struck up a conversation and Bucky spent extra cash buying her something cold to drink. She walked back with Bucky to meet Steve.

"Steve, this is Dolores. Dolores, meet my best friend, Steve."

Steve stood up quickly. "It's nice to meet you, Dolores."

"Hi Steve."

Needless to say, she spent the rest of the day hanging around with them and laughing.

It wasn't unusual for Bucky to meet girls so easily. He had charm, charisma and a swagger to his stride women found impossible to resist. He was also very handsome and girls were always flirting with him.

They wound their way to the games of skill, and Bucky spent an entire $3.00 trying to win a stuffed teddy bear for her. What he wouldn't do to impress a girl! Of course, she was ecstatic when he presented it to her. Her red, curly hair bobbed up and down as she bounced on her toes with glee.

Steve just rolled his eyes.

It was the price he paid for being friends with Bucky.

Chapter 4

Voices pricked at the edge of his consciousness. He had been dreaming about happier days, and didn't want to leave that dream.

"Sarge, hey Sarge, wake up."

"Barnes…James….Buchanan…"

"Yeah, yeah, we got all that already. Wake up Sarge."

Bucky opened his eyes a crack. "Huh?" His mouth was dry. He worked his jaw, but further sounds refused to come out. He tried to lick his lips, but there was no moisture to be had.

He felt someone pick up his head, and put a cup to his lips.

"Drink, Sarge."

Bucky needed no further encouragement, and drew water into his parched mouth, too fast. He coughed and spluttered, some of the water spilling back out of his mouth as he rolled over.

"Go easy Sarge. You've been out for hours." Someone pounded him on the back.

"W-where are we?" Bucky felt movement beneath him. He was still trying to get his eyes into focus.

"I don't know. We're being moved somewhere else."

 _We?_ It took Bucky's mind a few moments to process the thought. "W-who…?"

Bucky looked around. He saw several men present, none that he recognized tho.

"I don't know. Some Nazi dame came bustin' in and demanded some workers for some project she's got goin' on. She picked us, and you. What happened to you Sarge? Where'd they take you?"

Bucky's mind went back to try and remember, but it was all fuzzy. The transport truck hit a big pothole, and Bucky bounced off the floor and crashed back down on it, the water from the cup spilling all over him. He spluttered some more.

"Oh gosh, sorry Sarge."

Bucky heaved out a big sigh and tried rolling over again. The truck hit another pothole and Bucky lost his balance all over again.

"Just stay there until we get wherever we're…." He trailed off as the truck noticeably slowed down and came to a stop.

A couple of guards came around to the back of the truck, and unhitched the link that tethered the men to it.

A swing of the rifle and a yank on the chain indicated that they should disembark. Bucky was the last one down. A nudge to the first man in line with the end of the rifle barrel got the line moving.

They were led up and into a dilapidated looking warehouse. Inside was a different story. It was warm and cozy, and sitting on a high-backed chair like she was the Queen of England herself was a woman in Nazi uniform. She had arrived ahead of the transport truck by mere minutes.

She rose from it now to inspect the new arrivals.

The guard on the end commanded them to stand at attention, poking a couple of them with the barrel of his rifle. Bucky found out just how much it hurt after being poked in the back.

"It is alright, dis one has suffered much. Do not damage my new merchandise."

 _Merchandise?_ The thought ran thru every man's mind at the same time. They all turned to look at Bucky.

"Do you know why you are here? Hmmm….no? You are here because you serve a purpose, a purpose I will reveal in time. For now, be grateful. I detest that little weasel, he has no respect. I, on the other hand, take good care of my vorkers." She snapped her fingers twice. Some men came running. "See to it these men have access to clean vater, and clean clothes, down in ze lower level."

The men were escorted downstairs, but not before she stopped Bucky. "You. You don't know how lucky you are."

As the men dressed in clean clothes after showering, they all eyed Bucky.

"It seems you are her favorite."

"What? Why? Because she stopped me in line?"

"No. You didn't see the fuss she kicked up. She went all nuts when she found out you were missing from the group."

"What? She doesn't even know me."

"Maybe not, but then how could she?" The big man held out his hand to Bucky. "Corporal Timothy Dugan. You can call me Dum Dum." Bucky shook his hand quickly and finished tying his bootlaces.

The rest introduced themselves; Jim Morita, from Fresno, California. Pvt Montgomery Falsworth, from Great Britain. Pvt Gabriel Jones from NYC. Pvt Jacques Dernier from France.

"Sergeant James Barnes, Brooklyn. You can call me Bucky."

Before any more conversation could take place they were ushered out and back upstairs where a hot meal was waiting for them; Yankee pot roast, complete with chunks of carrots and potatoes.

While it wasn't French cuisine, the hungry men made short work of dishing out the food onto their plates. They were just about to dig in when the woman who was footing the bill strode in.

"I hope you left a seat for me."

Bucky jumped up and pulled out a chair. "Ma'am."

She flashed him a look that was part curiosity and part amusement. She paused a moment before settling in. "I hear the British have a curious phrase for you American soldiers; 'over-sexed, over-paid, and over here'. Iz dat true soldier? Are you?"

Bucky flashed his best 'I can get anything I want' smile at her. "Well, I wouldn't say all of that is true."

Her expression in return, did not change, as she studied him. "Hmmmm…" She reached for the nearest serving dish, and spooned some food onto a plate.

She studied them as they ate, watched their mannerisms, and movements, all the while saying nothing.

Bucky sat back finally full. "This is the best meal I've had since I left the States."

"It ought to be, you had three helpings!"

"Vhere did you depart from?" It was asked so casually that Bucky nearly forgot he was a prisoner.

"Well, that's a secret."

"I have it on good authority dat dere are two places dat ship out ze men for overseas on de eastern coast."

Conversation suddenly stopped, and the soldiers exchanged worrisome glances.

"Come now, if I vanted information I vould send my own man to discover it…." She paused before continuing in perfect American speech. "But then I could just go to Camp Shanks and see for myself."

Bucky's jaw dropped.

"You tink I am totally stupid?"

"Well….no…."

"I saved all of you from a life in dat hell. Johann does not speak for me. Yes, I do have my own plans, and yes, you all figure into zem, but one of you is critical to my plans. Tell me then, vhat you can…who here has de highest rank?"

The men all gulped down seemingly large ice cubes, and looked at each other. Bucky turned white as a ghost. The last time someone admitted to having the highest rank he was shot dead.

She noticed.

"Is it you den?"

Bucky swallowed another large lump in his throat. "Sergeant James Barnes."

"So, dey are all under your command now. Do you take responsibility for zem?"

"Technically, none of them are from my group…..and two aren't even from the States…"

"But you are all allies, are you not? Technically, zat would put you in command."

"I suppose….but…"

"And you would do anything to keep your men unharmed?"

Bucky opened his mouth to speak, but then he thought about it and closed his mouth up. _What is she getting at?_

"Does not ze commanding officer take responsibility for his men?"

"Technically, yes."

"Good. You all vork for me now. I vill give you ze instructions and you vill see to it zat zey are carried out."

"What is it that we're supposed to be doing? If I may ask."

"Whatever it takes to win ze war."

The men looked around at each other, none of them eager to win the war for Germany.

She snapped her fingers. "Escort them downstairs. I vill speak vith zem in ze morning.'

The men were escorted back downstairs to a small room with actual beds, and all on one level. At the far end was a tiny bathroom.

After the door was locked and they were alone, they started a discussion. The lights went out, but they continued the conversation in the dark for a short while.

"We should get some sleep; who knows what tomorrow will bring."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The next month had them working hard, but they got good food, plenty of water and some rest.

While they were heavily guarded, they still managed to talk in the evenings about trying to find a way to escape and bring word back to the Allied forces.

One evening, after the meal, she signaled that they be brought to the ward for the overnight, but stopped Bucky with her riding crop. "Not you. Sit."

Bucky had been trying to use his charm on her, in an effort to sweet talk her, to get her guard down, as part of their plan for an escape opportunity, but it seemingly had no effect on her…..til now maybe….

"I have a proposition for you, Sergeant Barnes."

"Oh?"

"I will let all the others go, if you agree to stay willingly."

Bucky's jaw dropped. He was continually being taken by surprise by this woman.

"Why would you do that?"

"I told you before; you are all part of a plan."

"To win the war?"

She changed to her "American" accent. "Yes, but there is more at stake than you know, much more."

"You do a good American accent."

"Well, perhaps that is because I was born there."

Bucky was now totally confused. "What? Why are you working for the Nazi's then?"

"I'm not. I wasn't lying when I said that you play a critical part in this war, but there's more than one war going on here. I need your cooperation. I give you my word; your men will be taken on the truck to the closest part to the front line, given a map and compass to find the Allied camp."

"What about me?"

"You play a much different role."

"But I'll be a prisoner here."

"Not if you stay willingly."

"And you expect me to keep my word?"

"I believe you're a gentleman."

He laughed. _If she only knew…_.

"Does that mean you're not?"

"It won't stop me from trying to escape."

"If you gave me your word, you would go back on it? Is that what gentlemen do?"

"A soldiers' first duty upon capture is to try to escape; being a gentleman has nothing to do with it."

She snapped her fingers, and one of the guards approached. "Go downstairs, choose one at random and kill him."

A curt nod and the guard turned.

Bucky sat upright. "Hey wait!"

She snapped her fingers and the guard stopped.

"You have a change of heart?"

"You can't just kill somebody like that."

"I asked you for your cooperation."

"That won't get my cooperation."

"Then give it, and I will see to it that the men are returned to the Allied side."

"Why can't you let all of us go?"

"I will release you when the war is over."

"No."

"Is that your final word?"

"Yes."

"Very well. Take him below, but isolate him until further notice."

Bucky was brought downstairs and locked in a room alone. It was as Spartan as their shared room, but at least there was a proper toilet. It didn't matter; Bucky wouldn't cooperate no matter what. He did have to find a way to protect the others tho.

All the rest were brought up for work and the meals the next day, while Bucky remained isolated. He paced his tiny room, thinking. By supper time he wasn't feeling so well. By bedtime he was experiencing internal cramping and back pain. By midnight, he was doubled over, arms crossed over his abdomen, and rocking in his bed to try and relieve the pain. His moans could be heard by the men down the hall.

The others kept banging on the walls, and shouting for help, but no one came.

By morning, some of the pain was relieved when Bucky had a bowel movement, but he was sore and achy. He experienced two more days of this, crying out when the worst of the cramping hit him.

Pleas and requests were made to the woman of the house, by all the men in the group, but she ignored them. Bucky was suffering from terrible constipation. Sweat poured from his forehead and ran into his eyes. His shirt was soaked with sweat, and his body was trembling with effort to evacuate his bowels.

Finally on the fourth day he was given some medicine. And he wasn't sure what was worse, because now he had diarrhea and cramping from that, plus he felt his behind was on fire.

Every 20 minutes, Bucky could be heard begging his body to please fix itself. Every muscle in his abdomen ached from the prolonged strain.

What he didn't know yet was that his food had been laced.

Back to constipation…then back to diarrhea.

The men could hear him, but were powerless to do anything about it. They couldn't even see him.

But they all knew by now, including Bucky, that this wasn't normal.

Another day and his stomach sorted itself out somewhat. The lacing of his food was temporarily stopped, and he was brought upstairs.

"Feel better?"

He gave her a nod.

"You can make this easier on yourself or hard, the choice is yours."

"You did this on purpose?"

'Yes."

"I won't cooperate."

"It's fine."

He eyed her warily. "Really?"

She passed him a bowl. "Pick out a slip of paper."

"What's this for?" He eyed the bowl suspiciously.

"You'll see." She waited just to see if he would do it. The slips were all blank. It was a test.

"No."

"All right then." She pulled a slip of paper out and gave it to the nearest guard. "See to it this is done."

The guard read the "message", nodded curtly and left the room.

Bucky went instantly alert. "What did it say?"

"You'll never know. Take him back downstairs."

"What did it say?" The pitch and volume rose in Bucky's voice. He stood up. She gestured and guards wrestled Bucky to the doorway, but he fought back, and this time he got loose!

He ran downstairs to find out what was going on. One of the men had gone missing!

"What happened? Where did they take him?"

"We don't know!" The remaining men chorused at him.

The guards had caught up by now, and there were now four. Bucky swung with all his worth and knocked the first guy down. A melee ensued, with Bucky's friends cheering him on.

The woman appeared and pointed a strange-looking pistol at Bucky. When she shot him, his whole body stiffened and trembled before hitting the floor. Then she pulled the trigger again and another shot of electricity made Bucky's body convulse on the floor.

Bucky's new friends were gob smacked to say the least. No one had ever seen a gun like that before.

"Put him in the big room. It's time we upped the stakes."


	6. Chapter 6

The Curse of Dr. Zola

Chapter 6

A gentle shaking roused Bucky at last. He moaned without opening his eyes. "What hit me?"

"Honestly, we don't know. What did it feel like?"

"Like I stuck all my fingers in the light socket."

"You dropped like a stone."

"I have what feels like a hangover headache, except I didn't touch a drop, I swear."

"Can you sit up? I've got some water here."

Bucky gingerly maneuvered his body until he got it into a sitting position. "Remind me never to drink for a while, ok?"

"Have some water; you won't get anything stronger than that here."

Cautiously opening his eyes, Bucky peered at the cup being offered. "At least this one won't spill all over me, like in the truck." He took the cup and slowly drank all the water.

"Feel better?"

"Not really."

Bucky didn't get too much time to rest. The guards showed up to shuffle them to the work room.

"I don't get all this stuff. What the hell are we working on?" Dum Dum shook his head and spread his hands out over the project he was working on.

"I don't either, but then what were those things we were working on at the factory?"

The men all looked at each other with the same uncomprehending stare.

"What makes us all so important? She said we were to play an important part in this war, but I don't see how when we're stuck here."

Bucky was about to tell them what she had revealed to him upstairs but a nudge from a rifle end silenced conversation, and work resumed.

He mentioned it at lights out, and they all went to sleep with one question on their minds…

Bucky was on edge for a couple of days expecting something to happen, but everything seemed normal. Just as he was letting his guard down, the other shoe fell…

After supper, Dugan said he didn't feel good. About an hour later, Morita, and Jones began to feel ill.

Bucky got a bad feeling and he knew what was coming.

Dernier, and Falsworth were the last to exhibit symptoms, but it was clear now, that she'd laced the food of everyone except Bucky. He kept a vigil overnight, going from man to man, trying to reassure them all that everything would be ok. He brought cool washcloths and dabbed their faces, something Bucky had not had as he was isolated during his ordeal. Perhaps that had been to instill fear in him, he didn't know. What he knew now was that the other men were being punished for his refusal to bend to her wishes.

By morning, none of the men could hold down anything but water. It didn't help, but Bucky kept feeding them sips anyway. It made him angry. She was doing this on purpose! He banged on the door for over an hour, but no one came.

Just a short while later, after he stopped banging on the door, food was brought down to them. Bucky tried to go after the man with the tray, but those with him carried those same strange-looking pistols Bucky had been shot with before. He eyed them warily, not certain he wanted to tangle with them again, but as they left, he tried tackling from behind. His reward was another shuddering jolt, which left him trembling and dazed on the floor.

Once Bucky's body recovered from the electric shock, he crawled to his feet using the nearest bed. He still felt like bugs were biting him. He began attending the men again.

After lunch, she came down to take a look, guarded by her armed men. Bucky got to his feet anxiously.

"I see you know how these pistols vork by now."

Bucky gave her a rueful expression. Yeah, he knew.

"How are dey?"

Bucky looked at the men suffering. "Please, why won't you help them?"

"You can help zem Bucky. You know vhat you need to do."

His eyes flashed angrily at her. "Why are you punishing them? They don't deserve this."

"I'm not punishing them, I'm punishing you. You are the one who has to listen to their pain, and you can stop it."

He took a step in her direction, but several guns pointed at him. He could barely get to his feet after being shot with one, he didn't know what would happened if he got shot with more than one. He looked back over his shoulder. The men had sweat-soaked shirts. He was gritting his teeth when he looked back at her.

"I will not give any medicine to them. They will continue to suffer. Extreme intestinal blockage can lead to a painful death." She wouldn't let it come to that, of course, but Bucky didn't know that. She needed these men to fulfill their destiny.

She stared at him and then turned to leave.

"Wait!"

"Yes?"

"You give your word that they will be released?"

"Absolutely."

"I-I'll do it." His shoulders slumped, and his head dropped down.

"Excellent! I'll have medicine sent down immediately."

With that she turned and left the room.

True to her word, the medicine was sent down and Bucky gave them enough to treat their condition.

"Bucky, can you hear me?" It was Gabriel Jones on the walkie talkie.

"Yes. Where are you?"

"I think we're close to the drop off zone. I have a map and the compass."

"Stay on as long as you can."

"I will."

Pvt. Jones stayed in touch until the truck came to a stop and the men got out.

"Bucky, we're at the stop. I have to give back the radio now."

"I understand. Good luck."

"Good luck to you too. Thank you for what you did. I'll make sure everyone knows it."

"Just make it back to camp alive, don't worry about me. I'll be joining you soon enough."

"Goodbye from all of us." Jones handed over the handset to the driver, and with a determined expression, the men began the hike to freedom.

"Goodbye." Bucky spoke into the speaker, but the transmission was never received, as the other end was already off.

He sighed heavily. He could only hope that they made it; he might not ever know. He only had her word that the fellas had been dropped in the right spot. What happened after the radio went dead? Had they even been let go? Were they alive or dead? He didn't know.

He looked up, sensed her presence even before he saw her, and with a grim determination, stood up to face her.

"Well, what now?"

"Now, your training begins."


	7. Chapter 7

The Curse of Dr. Zola

Chapter 7

The Allied camp wasn't too far from the front lines and the men made it there without being detected. Of course, once they got there, they were ushered to the medical tent and then on to Colonel Phillip's tent for a debriefing.

They sat and were introduced to Captain Steve Rogers. He had just gotten the men out from the factory, and returned them all to Colonel Phillip's camp less than a week ago.

"What can you tell me about Sgt. James Barnes? I was told that he had been removed from the cells, and hauled away. No one saw him again."

"That's part of what we need to tell you; Sgt. Barnes was with our group. He sacrificed himself so we could go free."

"Waitaminute! Are you telling me that you were just let go?" Col. Phillips was astounded.

"Where's Bucky now?" Steve was impatient.

"He's with her."

"Who? Her?" Steve was nearly out of his chair, ready to go find Bucky.

"Sit down, soldier." Phillips was not about to let Captain America talk Howard Stark into flying another plane behind enemy lines again. "Let him talk."

* * *

"And that's the whole story."

Steve and Col. Phillips sat back to digest this whole thing. They looked at each other, and before Steve could get a word out, Phillips squashed the idea of him trying to run to save one man. "Your place is here, son. You made a tremendous contribution by rescuing 400 plus men. I can't let you go off half-cocked to rescue Barnes. We don't even know where he is. They don't even know. Let him wait out the war. If this dame let these men go, it's most likely she'll let him go too."

"I can't help but wonder why, Colonel. What game is she playing?"

"All she told us is that we play a significant part in the war somehow."

"But not how?"

"No."

"If she hadn't come along and pulled you out, you'd all be among those I found at the factory, and Bucky too."

"Your friend Bucky had been pulled from the general population, as were others. No one ever came back. Either they were shipped out, or…." The sentence trailed off before saying the rest, but they all knew what it implied; that they were dead. Steve didn't want to think about it.

"Well, Captain, since these men were behind the lines, and in that factory. Do you think you can team up and wipe some of HYDRA off that map that you saw?"

"Yes sir!"

Captain Steve Rogers leaned over the map that had been laid out on the table. Colonel Phillips was nearby and the newly formed team, now called the Howling Commandos, was spread out around the table.

"I only got a quick look at the map." Steve placed markers on the locations as best he could. "This one is the closest. We should hit here first and work our way east, in a zig-zag pattern."

"I'll make sure you have everything you need."

"Thank you Colonel. We need as much intel as we can get too."

"You see this?" He pointed to his chest. "I didn't get to be a colonel by my good looks alone. I know what you need. I'm also going to get you one more soldier."

"With all due respect, sir…"

"You need one more pair of hands, Captain, and that's an order."

"Yes, sir."

The colonel nodded to one of his aides to go fetch the latest addition. It turned out to be the guy Steve rescued from the gurney. He was from the 107th, PFC Shawn Murphy. He had been there in the cell next to the one Bucky had been held in before he had been pulled. At just 19, he was one of the younger soldiers in the unit. He had started out very green and inexperienced, but that all changed when the group got captured. He turned out to be a pretty tough kid. Luckily, Steve got there before things made the turn for the worst.

They got him up to speed, and he in turn, told them all he remembered of his many days and weeks at the factory. It was hoped the other installations were similar in nature.

Colonel Phillips got all the equipment they needed. They practiced and trained together, in preparation for the first assault.

As they prepared to pull out for their first assault, Steve thought of Bucky. _Hang in there, pal, I'm on my way._ He knew how tough Bucky was, and if the story Jones, Dum Dum and all the others corroborated, then Bucky was still relatively ok. Steve wanted Bucky by his side tho, and that way he could be sure.

As they left, Steve promised Phillips he'd be back. Phillips nodded in return; of that he had no doubts. Steve had proven himself to Phillips by defying his orders and going behind enemy lines. While he didn't rescue Bucky, he did bring back over 400 men, and a couple of tanks, plus as many HYDRA weapons as the men could carry. It was a big win for the SSR.

Steve rode a Harley-Davidson motorcycle ahead of the unit. His instincts were good, but if there was any trouble, he could lead them away from the rest of his men.

Steve took the lead in the attack; partly because he was enhanced, and partly because he wanted to find Bucky. He didn't know if the location where the Commandos and Bucky were kept was one of these he'd marked or not, but surely someone must know something! He wanted to be the first in. He was not going to ask any of the men entrusted to him, to do anything he was not willing to do himself, because that was the right thing to do in his mind.

And just like that, the Howling Commandos won their first victory against HYDRA, and it felt damn good!

But no Bucky.

After the end of mission debriefing, Steve spoke the questions that everyone had been thinking, but had not voiced yet. "Who was this woman? Why was she wearing a Nazi uniform if she didn't work for them? Does she work for HYDRA?"

* * *

Bucky sat on the exam table, miserable, while the doctor checked his ears, shone a light in his eyes, made him open his mouth and felt around under his jaw. The **very large** orderly standing by looked like he was there only to keep Bucky in line.

Bucky had rolled his eyes at his temperature being taken. _Why do doctors take your temperature even when they know you're not sick?_ He had hesitated, and apparently for too long.

"If you do not open your mouth, I will ask my orderly to assist me in putting the thermometer in your other end to get your reading."

Bucky stole a glance at the orderly and had little doubt the man would love to manhandle Bucky if only to delight in Bucky's humiliation of having the thermometer shoved into his rear end. Bucky cleared his throat. "Sorry." He dutifully opened his mouth and the doctor placed the thermometer under his tongue.

"Keep your mouth closed." The doctor graced him with a scowl. Bucky kept his mouth closed but made a face.

"That will not help you." The doctor replied, and grabbed Bucky's wrist for a pulse reading.

When the time elapsed, he removed the thermometer from Bucky's mouth, checked the reading and made a notation on the paper.

Next, the doctor took a blood sample. It went very quickly as Bucky had good veins to work with. Bucky remarked that it seemed an awful lot tho. The doctor merely raised an eyebrow at him.

"Drop your boxers."

For the next eight minutes, the doctor managed to make Bucky feel as uncomfortable as humanly possible. Every part of his body was examined, pressed or pinched, and the doctor didn't miss any parts. Bucky burned red with embarrassment. Even the military doctors and nurses weren't this thorough.

"Lean over the table and spread your legs."

"Why?"

The orderly leaned down. "Because he said so."

Bucky looked into the face of the seven footer and decided discretion was the better part of valor on this one. Reluctantly, he turned and leaned over the table, his weight resting on his elbows.

"You will feel a slight pinch."

The doctor jammed a needle into Bucky's butt cheek and pressed the plunger. Bucky flinched and howled in pain. "That wasn't a pin…ARRGGGHHHHHH." Another needle was jammed into the other cheek. Tears came to his eyes as the second needle was withdrawn.

"You might be a little sore."

"Ya think?"

"I need a stool sample. Remain still."

"How are you gonna….." Realization hit Bucky about the same time he felt something being inserted into him. He flinched again, but managed to suppress the howl; barely.

Bucky squeezed his eyes shut tight as he felt something poking around inside him. The doctor was no nonsense, and quickly got the job done, much to Bucky's relief.

The doctor handed him something to clean himself up with while he and the orderly left for a few moments.

Outside the room, the woman paced anxiously. "Did he pass?"

"He is in excellent health. I have the blood samples. I will run one and preserve the rest."

"And how is his mental state?"

"He's tough enough to handle whatever you throw at him, very resilient, with a quick mind."

The woman just smiled as the doctor walked away.


	8. Chapter 8

Please note that this chapter may contain things some readers might find disturbing. Mature readers please.

The Curse of Dr. Zola

Chapter 8

"Stop! Stop! Stop! Please stop!" Bucky's cries fell on deaf ears. His legs felt like lead from running, and his whole body shivered with the cold.

He was handcuffed to a chain that linked up to the back of a jeep. Clad in nothing but boxers and his shoes and socks, he was pulled behind the jeep out in the cold of Germany. His legs were giving out and he didn't want to be dragged in the snow.

"You Americans are so weak!" The soldiers in the jeep laughed at him, and Bucky's face turned beet red. It was just enough of a distraction to make him stumble and fall into the slushy snow. The slack in the chain quickly disappeared and Bucky's worst fear came true. He felt his shoulders jerk painfully, and the biting cold of the snow on the ground stung his bare chest and limbs. His boxers got soaked immediately, and his nether region burned with the icy cold. His howl of surprise and pain got somewhat muffled as snow built up between his arms and threatened to go down his throat.

The soldiers dragged him a few more yards before stopping. "If he is damaged, she might punish us."

One by one they got out of the jeep and pulled Bucky to his feet. His skin was bright pink, and he shivered uncontrollably. They helped him up into the jeep, flung a blanket over him and made their way back.

Once there, they brought him to the showers and un-handcuffed him. He sat heavily onto the bench seat.

Once he heard the lock click behind them, he got to his feet, removed his boxers and footwear and ran water over his body; cool at first, then gradually warming up. He was so focused that he didn't hear the door unlock and open.

She stood there and watched him; his eyes closed and his face upturned into the warm water. She watched the water fall down his back and buttocks. His body was nicely formed, but he wasn't perfect yet. She slipped out quietly.

He turned at the faint sound to see no one there. Was it his imagination?

* * *

"What am I supposed to do?"

"You are to do what you are told!"

Bucky pressed his lips together in a grimace. "I'm not doing this."

"You will."

"No, I'm not"

"Very well…" She assumed a fighting stance and proceeded to knock Bucky right off his feet. As his back hit the mats, the breath got knocked out of him.

"Defend yourself!"

Bucky rolled up on one elbow, still trying to breathe. He put up one hand in an attempt to ask for time. She backed off.

When he got to his feet, he bent down to pick up the sticks. "What are these?"

"Quarter staffs. I will teach you the basics. Come stand beside me."

He moved next to her, and for the next hour, she showed him stances and defensive moves.

"No, not like that. Let me show you." She positioned him just so, and backed up. "Never leave yourself open to attack. If you leave a spot undefended, someone can use it against you." She moved to show him.

"See? Before you were vulnerable here and here." She moved her staff towards his body, showing him the places he'd exposed. "But now…." She repositioned him again. "You are less vulnerable."

It began making sense to him, and he dropped the pose. "Ok, I get it, but Nazi's aren't going to come at me with sticks."

"I am training you for something much worse."

An eyebrow shot up. "What's worse than Nazi's?"

"You'd be surprised."

* * *

BOOM. Another explosion rocked the building. Steve Rogers and his Howling Commandos raced out just in time. The building came down in a fantastic heap.

Still catching his breath, Dum Dum congratulated Rogers on another HYDRA base gone.

Nodding, he acknowledged the victory. "But still, no Bucky."

"I'm telling you Cap, that woman was neither with the Nazi's nor HYDRA, no matter what uniform she was wearing."

"Who the hell is she then?"

"I don't know, sir, but she was good on her word. If she hadn't been we would never be here…" Suddenly, enlightenment crossed Dugan's face. "Do you think this is what she meant, sir? That we were meant to be here? She said we were part of something significant, could this be it? What we're doing is pretty significant."

"I don't know. You told me Bucky was going to be significant too. Why isn't he here?"

"That I can't tell you, sir."

"Let's head back to camp and report in."

The men gathered together and went back to camp, where they filed their mission report with Colonel Phillips.

"After you're all rested up, I have another mission for you. Intelligence reports have come in on a train carrying a person of interest. A leading HYDRA scientist will be on that train. I need you to go and get him."

"Yes, sir."

* * *

Bucky limped into the dining room that evening, and very carefully chose the way he sat down. His legs were aching certainly, but his backside was still sore from the inoculations.

She watched as his face changed pained expressions.

He finally settled himself with a great heaving sigh, and began turning red when he heard her actually giggle.

"I know your pain; it is not a pleasant experience to receive inoculations. Perhaps someday they will find a way to make it painless."

Easing himself into a lean, he shook his head. "I doubt it. They still have to put the needle into your b….into a muscle somewhere."

When he finally met her gaze, she was smiling! He was speechless.

"We all have felt the sting of the needle since we were children. It does not get easier."

"He could have at least left me one side to sit on!"

She turned her head and hid her knowing smile from him with her hand, but she couldn't conceal her stifling her giggle, not completely.

"Oh, brother….I guess I would find it funny if it were you."

She looked at him now, with a softer expression than he'd ever seen from her; a rare moment. "We do share some things in common, whether you believe me or not."

"I just don't understand you sometimes."

"I know."

Bucky wasn't sure, but he almost thought her voice was about to crack, and then her expression changed. It went back to business, but there was that something in her eye she couldn't quite hide.

"Eat; before it gets cold. You must keep up your strength."

"What's on the menu tonight?" He reached to lift the lid. "It smells good, almost like…." His face took on a surprised look. "Spaghetti and meatballs! Holy cow! I love spaghetti and meatballs!"

She smiled at his delight. "Eat all you want."


	9. Chapter 9

The Curse of Dr. Zola

Chapter 9

"…and that makes 30. Go to the showers and meet me in the dining room." She instructed him.

Bucky heaved a breath, and ducked around the barbell he just put back on the stand, and sat up on the bench. His felt his shoulders burn with the effort he just put out, but the hot water would ease that.

He'd been doing physical training of all sorts, none by his own will, and some he didn't understand how it would help. A bicycle had been put on a stand and Bucky had been forced to ride it. He'd been made to run laps, lift weights, swim and tread water. With each new activity, he was pressed to the very limits of his strength. With treading water, she'd waited until he went under twice before lowering the ladder for him to climb out with.

He shook his head, stretched his tired and achy body and was escorted down to the showers.

He enjoyed the hot shower, dressed, and hurried to the dining room to eat.

She was already nibbling on steak when he arrived. His eyes got as huge as saucers as he sat down.

"I didn't know how you liked your steak, but it can always be adjusted." She had finally abandoned her German accent.

"I'll take steak any way I can get it."

Bucky cut into the thick, juicy cut of beef and popped a forkful into his mouth.

"OhhhhhhhmyGod." It was so good, and so tender that Bucky couldn't wait to tell her and he mumbled out his expression of delight in between his chewing.

"It's American beef."

"What? How?"

"I have connections, and a deep purse."

"This must have cost you a small fortune."

"Indeed, but you are worth every penny."

Bucky inhaled another mouthful. "What makes me so important? Why take us all out of the factory if you were letting them go? Was that part of the plan all along?"

She sighed deeply. "This is all very complicated. I took the others because they were/are to do an important job for me, but the job was never here. Unfortunately, I cannot control what happens once they were released. I regret using them as leverage against you. I regret doing many things, and I've changed how things will turn out."

"What do you mean you've changed how things will turn out?"

"You were supposed to be back in that factory. I was never supposed to be here. Dr. Zola was tricked into releasing you into my custody. He won't be taking this very well. He'll be very angry, very angry indeed."

"I don't understand. You haven't even told me your name. Can't you at least tell me that?"

For the first time, her shoulders slumped in defeat, and a great sadness passed over her face. "I cannot give you information that may sway you from your destiny. My only hope now is to hide you from HYDRA long enough to train my daughter."

"You have a daughter?"

"She's so young and innocent; just 4 years old."

"Where is she?"

"I have her hidden away. Everything I do is for her. I must keep her safe from them. They would destroy her innocence and use her."

"Who are they?"

"HYDRA."

"Who or what is HYDRA exactly?"

"Johann Schmidt is HYDRA, the head of HYDRA, it's an organization dedicated to taking over the world."

"Sounds like Hitler."

"Schmidt is worse. In any case, enjoy your steak tonight. Tomorrow I will give you off to rest and I have things to catch up on."

* * *

"We got a 10 second window. We miss that and we're bugs on a windshield." Steve gripped the zip line bar.

"Let's go bugs." Dugan smiled.

Steve, then Dugan, and then Jones jumped on the zip line and sailed down to the train, each landing securely.

Steve led Dugan inside one of the cars, only to be met by a monstrosity. A firefight ensued. Another one showed up and blasted Rogers and Dugan off their feet. Dugan got up first, grabbed Steve's shield just as another blast bounced off the shield and blew a hole in the train. Steve gained his feet and Dugan tossed him the shield. Before Steve could get a firm grip on it, another blast blew Dugan out of the train, and into the deep ravine below. Steve had no chance of stopping his death, and in one huge surge, he funneled all his emotion into squashing the monstrosity that just killed his friend.

Looking out over the rim of the ravaged train car, Steve's shoulders slumped in defeat; he'd lost a good man today. He wished Bucky was there with him.

And to make matters worse, the lead scientist was never aboard. He was, in fact, working on the latest project at another HYDRA base. Using the Tesseract, he'd managed to perfect a cryostasis tube, a device able to suspend life and reanimate it any time he wished. He was so proud of himself, and couldn't wait to show it to his boss.

Unfortunately, right about that time, that base was attacked. Zola had to flee for his life, the base was left in ruins, but not before the unit was removed, and put on a truck for transport. The portable generator used for powering the capsule was put on the truck beside it.

Up on top of the hill, the woman smiled, as her men drove off with the prize. That was the second time she had deprived Dr. Zola of something valuable. She knew time was growing short, but she wondered…did she have enough time left?


	10. Chapter 10

The Curse of Dr. Zola

Chapter 10

"Peggy? I gotta put her in the water. This is my choice."

On the other end of the line, sobs came thru. "I can get Howard, he'll know what to do."

"There's no time. I have to do it now while I still can or a whole lotta people will die."

"Steve? Steve?"

Crackles were all that Peggy Carter heard. Steve was gone.

* * *

Bucky and she were eating dinner the next evening, when a guard came in and whispered something in her ear. Instantly, her expression changed. The guard left.

"What is it?" Bucky asked.

"Johann Schmidt is dead, your friend, the one you always talk about, killed him."

"Steve? What are you talking about? Steve is back at home working."

"I'm afraid not."

"What? That can't be. Steve is 90 pounds soaking wet. The military rejected him 5 times. I saw the papers myself."

"And on the sixth try, he was accepted into the science division of the Army. He was selected for a special project which was successful. Your friends that were here with you have fulfilled their destiny. As I said, they were critical to the war, and now you must hear the rest."

"The rest?"

"Yes. I'm sorry but your friend went down with his plane."

"WHAT? NO!" Bucky stood up. "You're lying! I know you're lying, Steve couldn't….he can't be…"

Bucky walked around a bit, and then went after her in his grief. "He can't be dead, he can't be dead! This is all YOUR FAULT!" He was stopped by her guards, and as they hauled him downstairs, he kept screaming at her. "If you hadn't kept me here, Steve would be alive. He'd be alive. THIS IS YOUR FAULT!"

The rest was lost to great cries of anguish.

He was brought down to the small room where he'd taken up residence since the rest of the men had been released. He banged on the door and tried to get out, kicking and screaming until he had no strength left. He curled up on the bed, and cried, mumbling to himself. "It should have been me."

* * *

Bucky woke up hours later more clear-headed, and thinking of how she had to have lied to him. There was no way Steve would have been accepted into the Army! He made up his mind there and then that he wouldn't believe her. She was playing games with his mind. Yes, that was it! She was playing games with his mind to cause him deliberate pain.

He was also determined now to escape, no matter what he'd promised. She'd said it herself that the men she freed had done what they were supposed to do. Or was that another lie? It didn't matter. He was going to escape.

Over the course of the next few weeks, he kept a constant vigil. He made secret notations on the guards, the times he was in the gym, and the showers, meals, and anything else he could think of. Each night he reviewed it and plotted the best time of day to escape.

He managed to pocket some small items he thought would be of use and hid them in his small room. He hoped no one got it in their heads to search his room. He knew once he started collecting things, he wouldn't have much time.

One afternoon, after he'd been escorted to the showers, he managed to squish a wadded up piece of paper into the door jamb, and when he thought he'd waited enough time, he slipped out and back to his room. He gathered up all his things, and quietly got up the stairs.

He got out the door and made a break for it. Knowing he had a slim chance, he bolted anyway, trying to get a jeep hot-wired before anyone knew he was missing.

He got a 10 minute head start before the alarm sounded. She was royally pissed and sent men out looking for him. He kept to the roads for speed, but luck was not on his side. The fuel was low; the tank had not been re-filled. He ran the vehicle out of gas and began running.

 _Damn snow!_ It left a trail right to him. He looked for troops behind him. They couldn't be too far away. He didn't care, he just kept running. All the training had built up his stamina, and now he was using it to his advantage.

In the distance, he heard the unmistakable sound of a German jeep. Damn, he should have disabled the rest of the vehicles. But it was too late to worry now. He picked up speed.

He could hear the jeep getting closer and closer, until they were nearly on him. They swerved and darted, causing him to expend extra energy he couldn't afford. They ran him down until he was exhausted. He was chained up and forced to walk all the way back.

* * *

He was forced to his knees in front of her, hands cuffed behind his back. He expected her to strike him. But she did not. She just stood there, looking down at him. He was a mess; dirty, sweaty, and tired.

She grabbed his chin, tilted his head from one side to the other. "Look at you, you're a mess!"

He pulled his head away from her grip. He was tired, but he still had to show her he would fight her to the end.

"Yes, I can see why Zola wanted you so badly. You have a lot of spirit, and he likes to break the will of men such as you."

"He wouldn't have been able to."

She bent down and right to his face told him otherwise. "You think what you have endured is the worst? Your body would have succumbed to his torture very quickly and betrayed your mind."

"I don't think so."

"Do you want a taste of what he would have done to you?" She gestured to the guards. "This gives me no pleasure to hurt you. I had hoped you would stay with me."

She pulled her pistol from its holster, as did the guards.

Bucky's breath came faster, as he eyed the weapon levelled at him. He knew what was coming and tried to brace himself for it. But he could not have anticipated the level of pain.

They shot him in rapid succession, and Bucky's body convulsed violently. Scream after scream erupted from his throat as the level of electricity increased exponentially with each shot until the guns spent their charges. Bucky slumped to the floor; his body still twitching from the aftereffects.

"I saved you for a purpose; to make this world a better place. I just want my daughter to grow up being safe. She is not safe! No one is safe from HYDRA. Zola wanted to make you into their weapon, to kill for them. I want you to stop them, that is why I have been training you so hard. Your friends and your Steve have crushed their bases, but it is not over yet. I know what the future brings, and I need you to be there when it happens, and it will. I wish I could tell you everything, but the future is always in motion. I know I cannot be there. I have only enough for one and it has to be you. You are a good man, James Barnes. Please look after my daughter."

She knelt down and caressed his face. His breath was returning to normal, but his body was still trembling. He looked up at her in confusion.

"By taking you away from Zola, I have doomed another man in your place. My heart….hurts. Their operatives hunted you, targeted you, and captured you. Their plan would have succeeded, had it not been for my interference, but I have something they do not know of."

She pulled a chain from around her neck, from underneath her uniform; dangling on it was an oval orange colored stone.

His mouth moved as if to ask her a question, but he was still shaking too bad.

She sighed sadly one last time, and then stood.

"Bring him, and follow me."

She led them to the showers where she ordered him stripped. Altho exhausted, Bucky made every attempt to resist, but his futile efforts only gained him a beating. They held his head to the tiled floor and they got his clothes off quickly. He was scrubbed harshly until she deemed him clean. His skin was rubbed pink and raw by then. He was taken, naked, back to his room.

She sent in guards to remove all the linens and items until just the bed and pillow remained. She ordered him in. "I will deal with you more tomorrow. In the meantime, you have until then to think about the consequences of your actions."

The door sounded with a resolute bang, and Bucky sank to the bed and lay down. _Damn!_

* * *

The next morning he was rousted out of bed and brought to the infirmary. He was punched in the stomach a few times to dominate his will and strapped down onto a gurney completely naked. He groaned when she came in.

"And this is where I found you." She looked down at him. "I'm very sorry about this, Sergeant James Barnes, but it is time."

She had her doctor fix up an IV line and a needle was inserted into his arm. "I'm afraid this will hurt."

He endured the needle and the IV, until the burning started. "What are you doing to me? What are you doing? Oh my God, it burns!"

When the fluid bag was empty, a syringe filled with saline was pushed thru to clean the line out. Bucky was in a lot of pain now and his body was shaking and sweating.

"OHGOD! OHGOD! OHGOD!"

The gurney shook with the ferocity of his body in convulsions. He couldn't feel anything but the burning sensations. Sweat beaded up all over his body, then cold as he became feverish. His muscles ached from the tenseness, his fists clenched involuntarily.

He was delirious, enduring the pain and then the fever for days, muttering threats, alternating with memories. He didn't know which was which any longer; he was having hallucinations, talking to people who weren't there.

When the fever broke he was cleaned up and given a lot of saline by IV to hydrate his body for the procedure. Still reeling, he was put into the cryostasis capsule and the last thing he saw was his reflection on the glass…and then it all went black.

* * *

"Be careful with that! If you damage that tube you'll not have to worry about who wins the war."

The soldiers heaved it up onto the truck, and the portable generator followed.

"I will drive the truck myself. Come, I will speak with each of you individually and reward you as promised."

As each soldier exited the room after visiting with her, they went back to the war as if nothing had ever happened…

She climbed into the drivers' seat of the truck, took one look back at the building now engulfed in flames, and closed the door. One breath was all she spared before starting the truck and driving away. Underneath her shirt the warm oval orange stone lay against her chest, cradled by its' metal nest, and suspended on a golden chain. Unconsciously, her hand went to it, to reassure her mind that it was still there.

"Please forgive me for what I have done, James."

She looked down at the small composition book lying open on the seat next to her. _ **I hope you make a good life for yourself…goodbye James Barnes…**_


	11. Chapter 11

The Curse of Dr. Zola

Chapter 11

Interlude-1944

"But mama, I don't want to do it! I don't wanna! Please don't make me. It makes my head hurt." The little 4 year old had the first trickle of tears rolling down her plump cheeks.

Mama reached her hand to caress her precious little child's face. "Just one more time sweetie, that's all, I promise, just do this for mama just one more time. You, me, and Uncle James have to get across the border. We'll be safe there, I promise. But we need your help to get past the border patrol. Can you do this for mama? I'll let you rest after and you can choose any reward you wish."

The line of cars moved forward, and she pulled the truck up. "We're almost there. Can I count on you?"

"I can have anything I want?" Her eyes rounded with the thought.

"Yes, anything."

"Okay mama, I'll do it one more time."

She pulled the truck up to her turn in the customs line.

"Please step out of the vehicle and open the back." The customs agent motioned her out.

"Just let me get my daughter." She helped the little girl scramble over her lap, and handed her down to the officer. He was instantly charmed by her cherubic face.

"I like you." She said in her wee small voice.

"I like you too."

Her mother went around to the back to open the doors.

"Oh, there's nothing in there, just some old clothes, Mr. Ostfister." The little girl intoned sweetly.

"Well, let's take a look, shall we?"

He saw exactly what she said, just a pile of clothes.

"Mama didn't have time to pack good."

"That's fine." He pushed the doors closed and sealed inside one cryo stasis capsule containing the person of James Buchanan Barnes. "It's just that we can't be careful enough. We have to check everything."

She squirmed in his arms. "Mama said as soon as we get to 'Merica, she's gonna buy me a new dolly! A brand new one! All mine….." Her arms went up into the air, and then she hugged herself.

The officer chuckled and handed her back to mama. "She's adorable, just like Shirley Temple. You should see about getting her into the movies."

"I don't know if we're going that far south, but I'll keep that in mind. Thank you for everything."

The little girl waved. "Bye bye!"

"OK, we're all clear here." The customs guard shouted to the gate controller and waved the truck clear.

She pulled the truck forward as the gate rose, and just like that, they crossed the border. The "Welcome to New York" sign stood just yards further down from the "Welcome to the United States" sign. She breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank you my angel. You did a good job, and now we're all safely home again. So, what did you decide on? A new doll?

"No mama. I want to spend more time with Uncle James, but I would like to show him that I have a new dolly…." Her voice trailed off.

"Uncle James has to sleep for now, but I'll get you that dolly and you can tell him all about it, ok?"

"Okay."

* * *

Interlude-1947

Dr. Zola finally finished working for the night and gathered up his notebook, coat and hat. He'd had to relocate to a new facility, since Steve Rogers had blown up all the other ones.

He'd been lucky with this one; no one had discovered it yet. Schmidt had been wise to keep this one minimally staffed as a back-up plan.

His footfalls echoed down the hallway as he walked, but it made little difference; there were very few there to hear him anyway.

He waited for the elevator to lift him to the main level. He tapped his foot impatiently until the carriage arrived. The door opened and he went inside. His hand reached out for the main level as he fully intended to leave the building, but he hesitated. Finally, he pushed the button for the floor that held his creation. He wanted to check up on him.

He left the elevator and strode down the hall purposefully. Since the demise of Johann Schmidt, he'd had to "sell" himself to the highest bidder; the Russians came in with the highest bid, so he went with them. The "agreement" came with a clause however; he was to create a "soldier" for their use, while they funded his research and he created his own soldier.

His experiments had had a serious setback, well, two, if you counted both Steve Rogers and team blowing up all the labs and that dreadful woman! Grrrrrr…..his blood pressure and his heart rate shot up just thinking about it!

He opened the door and went inside, discarding those disruptive thoughts. There were just a few attendants monitoring the assets' progress currently, and everything looked very promising.

Of course, the setback cost him a year before another suitable candidate was located and yet another year before enough serum had been perfected over the previous version. Unfortunately, the war was over now. A new HYDRA chapter had begun. _If they cut off one head, two more shall take its place._ He watched silently for a moment before going over to the bedside of the Russians' candidate.

"How are we feeling my dear?"

"I'm just peachy. How are you doctor?"

"I'm doing well. Are you all set for tomorrow's procedure?"

"I'm looking forward to it."

"Get plenty of rest tonight, and I'll see you in the morning." Satisfied that everything was okay, he started to leave.

"Goodnight doctor."

"Goodnight Dolores."

"Call me Dottie, please."

* * *

Interlude-1974

She stood at the graveside and watched as they lowered the coffin down into the ground, her daughter's hand in one hand and her other hand fingered the charm on the necklace she wore. Her husband held an umbrella overhead; the only protection they had from the dreadful drizzle that had begun overnight.

The pastor had finished his short graveside eulogy and had left them with words of peace. They were the only ones in attendance.

"I'm sorry no one else came, with the weather and all…" He offered up as an apology of sorts.

"I didn't expect anyone else to come. Mama never had anyone but us."

"Come on, I'll drive us home."

They piled into the car, with the adults up front on the cushy bench seat, and the little girl in the back, playing with her toys. Mama idly toyed with the oval orange charm as she stared out the window. It was her mother's, but it seemed fitting to wear it today at her funeral.

About halfway home the little girl dropped her teddy bear on the floor of the car and slid off the seat to get it, since she couldn't reach it otherwise. As she squished herself between the seats, she heard her mother cry out a moment before a car ran the stoplight and broadsided them on the driver's side.

She screamed as the car careened out of control. Wedged as she was, the car protected her from serious injury. Her mother was badly hurt, but the driver was dead upon impact.

All the witnesses had to say was that the car drove off with metal hanging off the vehicle, screeching on the pavement, but they all agreed that the driver was a red-haired woman. Inside the car the orange glow from the necklace faded.

* * *

Interlude-1991

He sat on the motorcycle just inside the edge of the trees, hidden from view. No one coming down the road southbound would be able to spot him. It was a seldom used road, but he knew it would be used tonight. The intel gathered and fed to him told him his mark was on the move tonight.

He was patient. He could afford to be. He had all the time in the world. His mission was simple; extract the prize, and eliminate any witnesses.

He heard the rumble of the car engine before he saw it, and started up the bike's engine. As the Cadillac sped by, he toed the bike into gear and emerged from his hiding spot.

The bike bounced on its suspension as it hit the road, but he steadied it with his expert skills as a rider.

He accelerated and caught up with the Caddy. He forced his way in between the ditch and the passenger side and threw a huge rock thru the window, shattering it to pieces and startling the occupants into crashing into a tree.

He had to make a u-turn and double back to the car. The nose was squashed in and a small fire had erupted in the engine compartment.

He killed the engine and heeled the kickstand down with his left foot. He rested the bike on the stand and swung his leg over the back.

He approached the car almost casually, as if meeting up with old friends, and ripped open the trunk. Inside was a silver colored Halliburton case. He ripped it open as well. He was checking for his prize, and it was there. His superiors would be pleased. 5 bags of super soldier serum were contained inside the case. He closed it and walked around to the driver, who was crawling out of the car.

"Help me! Help my wife! Please."

But the asset just grabbed him by the collar and bashed in his skull. He dragged the now lifeless body of Howard Stark back to the car and placed him back inside.

Then he casually walked around to the passenger side and strangled Stark's wife.

When he was done, he drew his sidearm and fired at the camera he himself had set up, one of many along the road that would record his mission.

He secured the briefcase, and started the bike and drove off to destroy all the other cameras that he'd set up. NO WITNESSES meant exactly that.

Once all the cameras were destroyed, the man known as "The Curse" left to report back to his superiors.

In the far distance, he heard the car explode behind him, but he didn't care. The success of the mission was all he cared about.


	12. Chapter 12

The Curse of Dr. Zola

Chapter 12

She sat in tears at the lawyer's office, while he read the Last Will and Testament of her mother to her. She barely heard the words as she dabbed the tears with a tissue. Her mother had finally succumbed to death after a long illness. _At least she's not in any pain now…_

"Do you have any questions, Mary?"

Her attention was drawn back to the rather frail-looking attorney.

"Um, could you repeat that last part?"

"I said, would you like to have the keys now?"

"Keys?" She sniffled.

A sad, but concerned expression washed over the elderly lawyer's face. "I understand. Your mother and I were friends for many years. I know this is a lot to take in all at once. She left you the small house she kept in upstate New York. Altho' she never flaunted it, your mother was a wealthy woman. I helped her with a good deal of her business, but even tho I was her attorney, she had many dealings with other people as well. I was never quite sure how she acquired all of her money, but it was all to benefit you. She loved you, you know."

She nodded and sniffled some more.

"Do you understand the proviso?"

"Um, excuse me?"

"You are to inherit the house under the proviso that should you not have any heirs, the house is not to be sold out of the family but burned to the ground after all the 'treasures' are removed. What those treasures are, I cannot say. Your mother had her own idea of what a treasure was, whether anyone agreed with her or not as to its' value. After having escaped from Nazi Germany during the height of the war, with her own mother, she placed happiness and family above all else. She told me about her mother once, but I've long since forgotten a lot of it. I was told she was a strong woman, but a very sad one too."

"I never knew my grandmother, not really, just the story about how she managed to come to America thru Canada. I don't know how true it was. I think Mom was only 4 years old. Gram died when I was young. I never even knew my grandfathers' name at all. Mom never talked about him. I don't think he actually made it out of Germany, but I can't be sure."

They sat in silence for a few moments until the old fellow handed her a set of keys. She took them and stood up. He stood up and extended his hand. She shook it and thanked him.

"If there is anything you need, here is my card. Please call me if you think of any questions."

She gave a wan smile, nodded, and left the office.

After she settled into her vehicle, she looked at the address on the keyring, typed it up on her GPS, and started her pickup truck. "Might as well go see what the old girl left me…"

While en route she tried to imagine what she'd find; probably some old dusty house, knowing how her mother was a known penny-pincher. Oh, she could be generous when she has a special pet project, but otherwise she was frugal. To be honest, after she'd left home at 18, she'd had relatively little contact with her mother. Mom liked the big city; Broadway plays, theatre, fine dining…all of it. Why she bought a house out in the boonies…. _I guess she gravitated to the big city because she and gram had very little when they came here…so why this house?_

As the GPS told her where to turn, she noticed the dirt road. _WHAT? This is not like mom at all! It's more like…ME!_

About a half mile up the road she came upon a quaint cottage, at least that's the first thought that crossed her mind. It was a one story home, with the ever present English Ivy attached to the archway that stood guard over the cobblestone front walkway. A big picture window was just off to the right of the front door, and there was a small, covered porch, just big enough for a couple of chairs or a love seat swing. The roof was covered in solar panels. A tall, spindly windmill stood behind the house, its' blades slowly spinning.

She parked and got out. She went up to the front door; a large oval stained glass window adorned it. Mary couldn't figure out what the picture was supposed to be. _How unusual!_ She inserted the key, and turned it, mentally preparing herself for the worst, and swung open the door.

When she walked in, it was like stepping back in time! _The house that time forgot_ , or so she thought at first. Upon further, more detailed inspection, she realized the house was kitted out with replica period furniture of the late 1940's or perhaps early 1950's. The custom furniture held another surprise. As she opened cabinet doors, she discovered totally modern electronics; an HD television, a stereo system, and in the roll top desk, she discovered a brand new computer! Her mouth hung open in astonishment.

The kitchen was similar, old retro fridge, a gas stove and a farmhouse sink, complete with a replica hand pump faucet! She opened the cabinet doors to find Currier and Ives dinnerware, and in the gadget drawer, a mix of old and new. The very modern green ceramic cookware hung from an oval overhead rack right alongside old time white enamel pots.

"THIS is amazing!" The words fell out of her mouth without thinking. "I could live here forever."

She went up the hall to check out the bedrooms. The first bedroom was simply furnished, with muted earth tone wall colors and wood stained furniture. On the far side was a wash basin and pitcher atop a mirrored stand. It was too cute! On the full sized bed were earth toned linens, and at the foot, there was a fluffy hand stitched quilt. There was a large walk in closet.

Across the hall, there was a medium sized bathroom, with a tub and shower combination. The sink was large and an old fashioned medicine cabinet hung above. The toilet, however, was more modern. It boasted a taller seat height than standard.

She moved down to the master bedroom. She discovered a queen sized bed with a console headboard. Two little sliding doors concealed either the two separate end compartments, or drew together to conceal the center compartment. More wood stained custom furniture that concealed another HD television, and another walk in closet.

On her way back out she almost missed the envelope sitting on the linen rack. Her name was written on it. She recognized her mother's handwriting.

Her hands shook as she opened it and read the letter.

 _Dearest Daughter,_

 _If you are reading this, it means I have passed away. Please don't cry too much for me, just remember all the good times we had when you were a little girl. You were so precious to me then, my very own little angel from Heaven!_

 _I know we have had our differences over the years, and I realize now that it was mostly my fault. I'm so sorry. I never meant for this to hurt you. I bought this spot of land, as I know you enjoy your peace and quiet. I tried to furnish it with love as I picked out each piece especially for you. I do hope you like it._

 _There is a secret cellar below. You'll need a sharp eye to unlock the door. How many times have I told you to keep the bar high and if you did, you would always succeed? In the cellar there is a secret door. I cannot tell you where it is, you must discover that for yourself. Beyond it, there is a secret room, and in that room is the reason I have been so aloof. I have kept it a secret all these years. As time went on, it weighed heavily on my mind, and now the time has come for you to set it free. I'm so sorry to leave this burden to you; it is one of my biggest regrets. I'm sorry I let it come between us, but I had little choice. Perhaps it was always you who was destined to be the one to make things right._

 _I will love you forever and ever._

 _Mom_

She re-read the letter, looking for any additional clues she missed the first time around, but found none. _How cryptic! What does she mean?_

With her hands shaking, and her heart in her throat, she ran around the house like crazy looking for the cellar door. "Where is it?"

A second pass revealed nothing. "What?"

On her third pass, she inspected everything, including the closets, and still found nothing…..


	13. Chapter 13

The Curse of Dr. Zola

Chapter 13

A week after she moved in, she was still puzzling over the mysterious message her mother had left. She phoned the attorney and was surprised to hear that all of her mother's other assets had been sold before her death. She had assumed he had only read the portion that pertained to her.

"She was living in a small rented apartment for the last year, hiring an aide to care for her. She never wanted to be a burden to you. I paid the aide with a fund your mother set up for that purpose. The rest was my payment for my services."

"You said she was a wealthy woman. What happened to the money she got from selling off everything?"

"I don't know. She never told me. I can only assume she gave it all away."

Mary sighed. "Look, I don't care what she did with her money. I don't care that she was wealthy. I'm grateful that she left me the house, but I'd just like to know where it all went."

"I understand perfectly. She was worth millions at the height of her day, but like I said, I did handle a lot of her business, but I was not her only attorney."

"Who handled the rest?"

"She never told me. Perhaps the clue lies in her will. Your mother often said one thing to me and yet, the meaning turned out to be something completely different. She wrote it herself, all the wording. It was actually quite poetic. I'm sure you didn't appreciate the full depth of it at the reading. I'll forward you a copy. I should have given you a copy when you were here."

"Thank you."

The next day a courier arrived and hand delivered the copy. Mary was quite surprised at the old fashioned service, but pleased.

She sat at the kitchen table and read the document, hand written by her mother in her beautiful print, just like the letter had been. Mary unfolded the letter and set it down next to the will. She looked at both documents, trying to will it to talk to her. But both were stubborn and just lay there on the table, silently mocking her.

 _My mother never did anything without a plan. Every choice she made had a reason behind it, even if I never understood her reasoning. So, why this house? Why set it with a theme and why this theme? Why the forties or fifties?_

"She was born in 1940, and supposedly escaped in 1944. Maybe this reminded her of the house she lived in with grandma?" Mary sighed, and got up to walk around the house. She thought maybe there was a clue she missed.

She eventually made her way to the second bedroom. She looked around, and that's when she noticed how relatively plainer this room seemed. The old wash stand was lovely. The blue and white pitcher sat on the lower shelf and the wash basin in its cradle on the upper tier. It was the only bright spot in the room. She turned to the pictures on the wall; Brooklyn Antiques, the Brooklyn Majestic cinema, and a picture of the Cyclone at Coney Island, all from the 1940's.

In her first trip here, she had opened the closet; empty, but she'd never checked the dresser. She pulled open the top drawer, and found clothes in it! Her jaw dropped. She nosed around the tiniest bit. In the top drawer were pairs of men's boxers, tank style undershirts and socks. She pushed the drawer closed slowly. _What the hell?_

The second and third drawers held shirts and pants, but not all of them were forties styled. "That's a relief!" She threw one hand up in the air. "Now, I'm talking to myself!"

She went back to the closet. _Why are the pants in the drawer and not hung up?_ She reached for the bar to straighten it, as it looked crooked to her. When she moved it, she felt it click into place and the back wall of the closet cracked open!

Her breath caught in her throat and she realized she'd discovered the secret door! A casual observer would have missed it entirely.

She tapped her knuckles on the "wall", and found it seemingly hollow. She pushed it and it opened to the basement.

She patted the wall for the light switch and flipped it on. Her breath was ragged with excitement as she descended the stairs. It wasn't as she feared; dank and damp, but cool and semi-finished. But she didn't see any door. She felt around the walls, but was unable to discern where there was a doorway. Puzzled, she stood in the center of the room and slowly turned in a circle. Nothing.

She moved directly under the ceiling light and looked at the keys; the front door key, 2 bedroom door keys, a back door key, a key to the small shed out back, and a strange looking Tchotchke. Frustrated, she huffed and puffed with her hands on her hips, and that's when the light bulb overhead flickered and blew out.

She screamed at the unexpected popping sound, and was engulfed in the sudden darkness. Thank goodness she'd left the door open at the top of the stairs or else she'd have had no light at all. She went over to the stairwell and began climbing the stairs, and that's when she saw it; a faint blue light.

At first she thought her eyes were playing tricks on her, but the blue tinted light remained.

She ran to her truck to get the flashlight out and quickly returned.

Feeling around she couldn't find any keyhole, nor was there any key on the ring! She shone the flashlight everywhere but still with no success. After a few minutes of stewing, she simply shut off the flashlight, and waited until her eyes adjusted to the darkness.

She backed away from the wall until she spotted a strange little symbol glowing blue. Knowing where to focus her eyes now, she approached it slowly. _Could this be the keyhole?_

She was about to dismiss it when she thought of the odd Tchotchke. She fumbled for it and when she went to insert it, it fit perfectly! The heavy door swung in and a blue light filled the room. In the center of the room was a draped object. She pulled back the cloth. "What the hell?"

She switched the flashlight on and peered into the little window and screamed! She jumped back so fast she lost her footing and fell heavily onto the floor. The flashlight went skittering across the floor, causing an eerie light to play off the walls.

There was a man in there!

It took her several minutes to slow her heart rate enough to realize that this surely must be a bad joke on her mother's part. It must be a mannequin.

She retrieved the flashlight, and with her hands shaking, she looked in again. "Mother, if this is a joke, I swear I'll…"

Then she noticed the buttons, with numbers on them and a little paper stuck underneath in her mother's hand writing.

 _Push in this order 32557038_

She read the sequence and pushed the buttons. A faint hiss sounded and thru the window she saw a warm reddish glow.

The creaking and hissing caused her to back up fearfully. "What have I done?"

She watched for about 15 minutes, with a deer in the headlights stare on her face. Every creak and groan from the aged capsule made her grimace. "Why? Why am I so jumpy? This has to be a trick, and when it's all over, I'm going to laugh and cry and yell at you mom for tricking me!"

With a huff, she walked out of the room, and back upstairs.

* * *

An hour later, she was still pacing the floor, chiding herself for being sucked into this ruse. She looked at the letter again. The hand-writing was her mothers'. She knew it as well as her own sloppy writing. Mom had always pushed her at her schoolwork. She excelled at English/Language Arts, but her print and cursive never improved all that much.

"Fine. Mom this is too much! It's ridiculous."

She went back downstairs and crept to the still open doorway. The lid had moved slightly and was still glowing from inside.

Taking a deep breath, she went over to see if she could move the lid. When it didn't budge, she peered into the window again. The man's face seemed softer than an hour ago. Or was it her imagination?

She waited and watched and walked around the room for what seemed like forever. On the other side of the capsule there was an old composition book lying on what she assumed powered the thing, and she picked it up. When was flipping thru it when she heard a faint humming sound, and then a series of clicks. She peered down again. The glow from within was fading. Now, she heard another sound, but couldn't identify its' source, except that it came from within the cradle. She pushed on the lid again and with a groan, it slid open.

Her jaw dropped when she saw the man was completely naked! She reached out to poke his bicep fully expecting to find plastic. Her stomach turned and heaved when she felt cold human flesh. _It's a dead body…..why would mother keep a…_ and then it moved!

She jumped and backed up until she felt her back against the wall. Overwhelmed, she sank to the floor and everything went black.

She came around about 15 minutes later. Her wits took longer. She looked up. The man's arm had moved and was resting against the side of the cradle. She eased herself to a standing position and slowly moved forward, just enough to see that his eyes were open. Her hand went to cover her mouth. _OhmyGod…._ Darkness threatened to overwhelm her again, and she felt dizzy. She forced it down.

"Don't move. Let me get you a towel."

She ran upstairs to find the towels that had been stocked in the bathroom cabinet, grabbed one and raced back down. He was trying to move. Panicking, she threw the towel over his lower body.

"Can you stand?"

She tried to help him to his feet. The towel fell away, much to her horror, but as soon as he was sort of in a standing position, she looped the towel around his hips and tucked in the end. Then he tilted forwards, and his weight carried her backwards. They crashed to the floor, with his face buried between her boobs.

The added weight had knocked the wind out of her, and all she managed to do was to push his head to the side so he could breathe. Unfortunately, his head still rested on her chest, and his body covered hers. It was a predicament she couldn't get out of until she got her wind back.

It seemed to take forever to catch her breath. Meanwhile, the man that lay on top of her made no attempts to move. _How convenient!_

She tried just pushing him off her, but he was too heavy, so she next tried wriggling out from under him at the same time she pushed. That worked a little better.

It took her a while, but she managed to extricate herself, and she used her legs to roll him onto his back. Of course, this now meant that he was exposed again!

Fighting with the towel, she managed to cover him again and tuck the ends in. She couldn't help but get an eyeful! _Dear Lord!_

She sat back to catch her breath again. _He does have a nice body…OHMYGOD, what am I thinking? This poor man is half frozen to death and here I am admiring the view!_ She mentally slapped herself.

She watched his chest rise and fall. At least he was breathing regularly. She didn't want to have to put her rusty CPR skills to the test. She thought about calling 911, but how could she explain? _Oh yeah, by the way, I found this guy in my basement that doesn't exist, in a room that doesn't exist, and defrosted him from the latest model of Mystery Science Theatre's freezer!_ _Oh yeah, that would go over well._

When he turned his head to look at her, she knew she had to get him upright…somehow.

"If I help you, do you think you can get up? We have to get up the stairs."

His mouth and lips moved some, but his brain was still too sluggish to form a coherent reply. He did make an attempt to roll over, so she took that as his answer.

She grabbed an arm, and he used her strength to get himself to his knees. She then got in front of him and had him struggle over to the wall, so she could lean her back against it. She didn't want a repeat of the earlier crash.

He got unsteadily to his feet at last and the towel lasted about 10 seconds before it fell off and puddled around his feet.

"Great! Just great! Steady yourself against the wall. I gotta fix your towel again."

She ducked under his arms and secured the towel from behind him. She couldn't help but admire the backside view. He had a nice butt. She shook her head again, and chastised herself.

Leaning heavily on her, she just barely managed to get him upstairs without collapsing under his weight. She got him into the bathroom and onto the toilet and at the same time she managed to lift up the towel from his buttocks.

He was shaky, and his body was ice cold. She grabbed a washcloth from the rack, ran it under warm water and began swabbing his face and upper body. He was disoriented, and did not resist her ministrations.

When she had washed down all but his nether region, she asked him if he was done on the toilet. His head bobbed down as if he didn't realize he had a lower body. She noticed that the towel was soaked in the front. Oops!

She reached around and grabbed a wad of toilet paper and pressed it into his hand. His hand disappeared under the towel, and came back empty. She hoped that meant he'd wiped himself clean.

"Let me get you a fresh towel." She reached over and grabbed one out of the cabinet where she had found the first one. "Can you stand for me?"

She helped him to his feet, switched towels and got him onto the bed, where he promptly shut his eyes, and drifted off.


	14. Chapter 14

The Curse of Dr. Zola

Chapter 14

63 years later…

Black became dark gray, then light gray, then blue, then pinkish peachy white…..

His eyes opened slowly, his brain still unable to comprehend the images fuzzily dancing before him. He heard a sound….a voice….but it was muffled, like he was underwater…..but he wasn't. Then he felt the cold, and he shivered. His jaw worked, but no sound came out. He tried turning his head, but he felt stiffness in his neck.

The shivering continued. A blanket, warm and soft, was draped over him, and warmth slowly creeped back into his body. He felt tired and James Barnes closed his eyes and went back to sleep.

* * *

His lungs drew in air desperately, hungrily, and his chest heaved with the effort. He woke as if from a nightmare. As his eyes opened once again, he heard the faint sounds of Glenn Miller playing. He recognized the tune. "The American Patrol" was a favorite on the dance floor.

He turned his head and looked around the room. He didn't recognize it. He sat up, still feeling somewhat groggy. The room was plain and in muted colors; the bedding simple and also matching colors. He swung his legs over to the edge of the bed, tested his legs, and stood up, pushing off the blanket. _Where the hell am I?_

He looked down and saw that he was completely naked. When he was certain that his legs would hold him up; he ventured out and across the hall to the bathroom. He peed into the toilet, holding himself steady with one hand on the wall, and then plopped down to finish his business. He moaned softly as his body tried to expel 60 plus years of what he had held inside him.

He finished up, feeling like he just left his bowels in the toilet. He got up and walked back across the hall to the bedroom. _Where are my clothes?_

He looked around at first, his brain and eyesight still unreliable. Then he noticed the bathrobe hanging on the back of the door, so he put it on and tied the belt. Then he wandered out down the hall.

It was there that Bucky first got his first inkling that something wasn't right. The furniture seemed … _wrong_ , and the source of the music, well, it was nothing like he'd ever seen, except maybe…Suddenly his eyes went wide! _Is that a television?_ He rubbed his eyes with both hands. He and Steve had gone to the World's Fair in New York back in 1939 and saw some, but, but ….. THIS! It was HUGE! _Where is the console?_ He studied it for a few seconds and then stepped back to look at it. Surely, Howard Stark had something to do with this. He was ALWAYS trying to outdo everyone. He and Steve had even seen Starks' attempt at a flying car at the science fair on his last night before reporting for duty….

He stood up straight. The Army! The war! It all started coming back to him… Germany, the factory….trying to escape. He also sensed something else; like that feeling you get when you're not alone. He turned to hear sounds in the kitchen…..and the smell of bacon, and COFFEE! _What the hell is going on?_

Cautiously, he made his way over and peeked around the corner.

"Hello James. I'm glad to see you're awake."

His lungs inhaled a deep breath, and he froze in his tracks. "Who are you? Where am I?"

"My name is Mary, and you're in New York state."

"How did I get here?" He moved closer to check for weapons but saw none.

"That's a long story. I just got some water to a boil. Would you like some tea or coffee? I've got oatmeal too. Please, come have a seat, and I'll try to explain."

* * *

"That's the most ridiculous story I've ever heard! You couldn't come up with something better?"

"I didn't come up with this story. Look." She pushed a composition book towards him. "I'm afraid it gets worse. After I pushed the buttons, I saw this book lying there on the generator, so I picked it up and flipped thru it. Some of it was in my mother's hand-writing, but the first part was in hand-writing I didn't recognize. I think the woman who had you was my grandmother."

Bucky went white as a ghost.

She got up from her chair, and took his hand. "I've got to show you something."

She led him to her computer and booted it up. He looked at the unfamiliar equipment uneasily.

At first he was skeptical, but he watched as she brought up images from the 1940's, his mind scarcely believing what he was seeing. "This…..this is all fake. You made it all up."

"No. I didn't. Have you ever seen a computer before?"

He shook his head. "It can't be real, it can't."

"Look, I can't possibly know the reason why the things that happened to you happened. I never really knew my grandmother. It's killing me that she was over there, and that she did terrible things. I'm not my grandmother. I'm finding out about all of this the same time that you are. My mother NEVER told me about you, or any of this."

"What am I supposed to do?"

"I don't know, James. I'd like to take you to a doctor and get you checked out, but I'm afraid for you."

"Why?"

"Everything is on computers these days. The doctor will need your personal information, like your social security number, date of birth. How can we tell him you were born in 1917? You can't use your social security number, because it's on file from 1930-something. They jail people now who steal other people's numbers. And it's not like we can tell them the truth about you."

Bucky sat down on the sofa, trying to comprehend all of this. He ran his hands thru his hair.

"If the government, or any government, finds out about you, about how you survived since WWII, they will come for you and turn you into some sort of lab rat. They will make you disappear forever and you'll be trapped in some place that has no name because it won't exist outside of those walls. You'll be a prisoner forever."

"That…that can't be. How could they do such a thing?"

"There's more."

"Are you kidding me?"

"No." She brought up the story of Captain America, and let Bucky sit at the computer.

"That's…Steve?…..but he was, I was told that he….I didn't believe her. How can this be?" Suddenly, his mind rejected it all, overwhelmed by too much information. "No. You're lying to me! You're lying, just like she did." He pushed her away.

"If you promise me you'll keep an open mind, I'll take you for a drive. You'll be able to see it, touch it, and find out for yourself."

Desperate for answers, he clenched his fists, but nodded.

"Let's go and see if we can find you some clothes."

She led the way back to his bedroom. She considered it his now, and opened the dresser drawers.

As she left the room, she closed the door to let him choose from the myriad of men's clothes that her mother had left for him.

After he got his clothes and shoes on, she led him outside to her pick-up truck, opened the passenger door and let him climb in. "You have to buckle up."

"What?"

She pulled down the seat belt, and awkwardly reached over his lap, and buckled him in with a blush on her face. She ran around and got in on the other side.

After she buckled in, she caught the amusement in his face. "What's so funny?"

"You drive a truck?"

"Why not?"

"Well, you're a girl."

"Oh dear. I forget that the 1940's were a time that men didn't think women were capable of anything except pushing out babies. Times have very much changed, and WWII had a lot to do with it. With the men overseas, a lot of women were at home working in factories building planes and all kinds of things for the war, but you'll see."

"I know women were building planes and ships; I was there."

* * *

At first, Bucky didn't see anything that mattered, but slowly as 'civilization' came into view; he noticed that things weren't normal. Cars drove by that he didn't recognize. The houses looked different. Soon, he began to realize that everything was different. _Holy cow!_

"How can this be?"

"I don't know all of what happened. I told you everything I know. I found that book with you, and it gave your name, and all the other information that I already told you. I have to stop at the market; do you want to come in with me?"

"Yes, I suppose I should."

She parked the truck and got out. Bucky was confused as to how to undo the strap that was holding him in the vehicle. He started to panic and gave her an accusatory glare. She opened his door, climbed up on the side step and leaned over his lap again to release the buckle, blushing furiously.

Once inside the market Bucky saw a newspaper display and picked up a paper. He read the date. He couldn't help himself; he had to read it. November 21st, 2007. His shoulders sagged. _It's really real. I'm really here, and everyone I knew is probably dead. It's been… 63 years!_ He put the paper back in the stack, and followed her around the store, half-dazed, as thoughts swirled around in his head.

She picked up what she needed, and they waited in line to pay. His musings were momentarily disrupted as he watched her put a blue rectangular card into a machine of some kind. It buzzed and she pulled it out. The cashier handed her a receipt, which she crammed into her pocket and she handed Bucky two bags.

He stood there open-mouthed.

"Can you carry these?"

"Uh, yeah…" He came back to himself, and accepted the grocery sacks. He followed her out, but stopped her beyond the door. "What did you just do? What was that thing?"

"What thing?"

"You didn't give the cashier any cash to pay for the groceries."

"I used my debit card. I'll try to explain on the way back."


	15. Chapter 15

The Curse of Dr. Zola

Chapter 15

He rested his head in his hands. His muffled words came thru splayed fingers. "I have a headache."

She sighed. She sympathized at his plight, and went to fetch two aspirins. She came back with them and a glass of water.

He looked up at her, despair on his face. He just found out he'd lost everything, and he wasn't taking it too well.

She sat down on the sofa next to him. "I wish I could make things all right for you."

He sighed softly, and reached for the aspirins and water. He swallowed them quickly and washed them down. He put the glass down on the small coffee table. For once, all the bravado, all the swagger that was James Buchanan Barnes, left. He felt vulnerable, uncertain and anxious. He looked over at her. "What am I supposed to do? Where do I go?"

"You aren't going anywhere, for starters. You will stay here. Apparently, my mother set this house up for that reason. All the clothes in the second bedroom fit you, so she had to have known you'd be found. She left me a letter to tell me what I needed to know. I found you, you're here, you're alive, you survived that capsule thing, and I will help you with whatever you need. My mother was a pretty wealthy woman and she left everything to me. I don't even have to work if I don't want to."

He drew back a bit. "I can't let you support me! That's not right. I need to find a job!"

"Well, there are some jobs out there that'll let you work off the books, but you'd probably be better off if you worked for yourself."

"Doing what?"

"I don't know. Some guys do landscaping, lawn maintenance, tree trimming that sort of stuff. Some do junk hauling, clean out apartments, refurbishing them for the next tenant. You'll have to knock on a lot of doors, but if you tell them you'll give them a discount if they pay in cash, you'll get a few takers. Word of mouth goes a long way too, once they see that you do a good job, provided you're not afraid of hard work. It looks like I'm going to need some work done around here too. We can finish the basement, make it nice and cozy, maybe put in a second bathroom. I'll get some books from the local supply store and we can figure it out together."

He nodded. "I can do that."

"You can start out once you feel up to it. I don't know the area that well myself, but we can drive around, get to know our way around. Winter is coming, so people might need snow shoveling, or Christmas lights put up. We'll see if there is a printer in town and make you up some business cards, get you a cell phone…"

"What's a cell phone?"

* * *

Over the course of the next 5 months, he did odd jobs by day, and she tutored him at night, but it didn't take that long to discover Bucky's new talent.

It seemed the generator downstairs, plus the solar panels powered the house completely. The house was using its own water table underground, drawn up by the windmill, so all she had to pay was the phone, cable and computer and the taxes.

She asked Bucky to chop the wood for the delivery they were hired to make, and he went out with the axe. She wanted to get a head start on it while they could. When he came back in, she asked him how much he'd gotten done.

"All of it."

She looked at him over her glasses. "What?"

He gestured towards the window. She couldn't believe it. He had just chopped and stacked two cords of wood, and he was barely even sweaty!

So she asked him to try some other things…..bigger and bigger things.

Finally, she asked him to push her truck. She put it in neutral, and he was able to push her 4000 pound truck around the yard!

"How can this be?"

"I don't know. One of the last things I remember was them hooking me up to an IV, and it burned me from the inside. I felt like I was on fire, every inch of my body. Eventually, it stopped burning me, but I felt miserable and sick. I think I passed out or slept a lot. But one time when I woke up, I think I remember being in the capsule. They were sealing it up and then a cold blast hit me. There's nothing else until I woke up on the bed."

"What was in the IV?"

"I don't know, but I remember her telling me something about me playing a critical role in the war. But if the war has been over in Europe since 1945, what was my role….wait. I remember her telling me she was training me to make the world a better place, for her daughter. You said your mother was dead. So, now what do I do?"

"I don't know. I know very little of gram's and mom's escape from Nazi Germany. I was told they came thru Canada, but how true it is, is anybody's guess."

"Did they mention how old your mother was then?"

"She was four years old."

"I think I remember her telling me she had a 4 year old daughter."

"So, how old are you James?"

"I keep telling you to please call me Bucky. Not even my own mother called me James. In fact, the only person that ever called me James was…." He stopped, a breath catching in his chest, as a memory caught up with him. Tears welled up in his eyes, but he willed them not to fall. He sniffled. "The only person that ever called me James was Sarah Rogers, the mother of my best friend, Steve."

She put her hands on his hands. "I'm so sorry, Bucky. I'll do everything I can to help you make a new life for yourself. Any time you need to talk, need a friend, I'll be there for you."

"When Mrs. Rogers died, and Steve was left all alone, I told him, 'I'm with ya til the end of the line, pal.' When I got the call to report to duty, Steve had already been rejected 5 times. I saw his papers; 4F each time. I don't know how he got in the Army, or how he got selected for the Captain America program. How did this stuff turn him into a Six-footer? When I knew Steve he was asthmatic, 90 pounds and 5'4". So….?"

"I can only assume he had some variation of the formula you received. If you are able to do the things he did…."

"Maybe."

"Anyway, let's calculate how old you are. You were born in 1917, and it is 2008…"

"That makes me 91."

"Technically, on paper, but if we calculate from 1917 to 1944, it makes you 27, **if** you didn't age in the tube."

"Great."

"You're the best looking 91 year old I've ever seen."

"You're funny. How old are you, if I may ask, or are you gonna slap my face for asking?"

"I'm 37, and no, I am not going to slap your face. I don't mind if you know."

"Apparently, I've got a lot to learn."

"You do, so let's get to it."


	16. Chapter 16

The Curse of Dr. Zola

Chapter 16

By May of 2008, Bucky had a pretty good list of clients, considering he did it the old-fashioned way of knocking on doors.

Mary had purchased a riding lawn mower and a push type, plus all sorts of tools. When he began protesting, she reminded him that it would be necessary for upkeep anyway, he relented…a little. He still insisted on giving her so much money towards the cost, and some rent money. She agreed on one condition….that he pay the same rate as he would have in 1944.

Since he collected pay in cash, but he couldn't have a bank account, he needed a place to stash his money. They decided the secret room was the best place. She bought a fire-proof safe for him to store his money. They also made some discoveries. In the secret room were compartments designed for further secrecy. One held the blueprints for the house, the unofficial ones, and it showed where all the other secret compartments were. They began opening the compartments and Mary discovered where all of her mothers' wealth went to; cash, and jewelry were stuffed into each compartment! It looked like millions and millions of dollars' worth!

One night watching the news, there was a clip about NYC's billionaire Tony Stark. He'd been kidnapped and held in the Middle East by some terrorist group but somehow managed to escape. Apparently, later the group camp had been destroyed by an iron clad man, and now, here was Tony Stark, giving a press conference, and claiming to be Iron Man!

Mary googled Tony Stark, and found his biography less than stellar; an arrogant playboy, with narcissist tendencies. He was brilliant, true, but he wasted his money on floozy women and booze. His father, Howard Stark, made his money, lots of it, in making weapons for the military in WWII.

"I remember Howard from the expo."

"It says here, Howard and his wife were killed in a car crash December 16, 1991. Tony was an only child, and he inherited everything, including, Howard's genius. Bucky, I wonder…."

"What?'

"Well, maybe he can help us." She turned from the computer. "Maybe he knows someone, maybe we can find out what really happened to you."

"It's worth a shot."

She continued searching, and when she gasped, Bucky sat up. "What is it?"

"Come look."

There, on the computer, was a picture of Steve, posing with Howard Stark!

Bucky was quiet as he stared at the old photo.

"Are you okay?"

"It seems like yesterday."

She put her hand on his arm. "Oh, sweetie, I'm so sorry."

He swallowed, and went back to the sofa. She joined him, and rested her head upon his shoulder. He adjusted his position and drew her into him.

They had gotten closer over the winter, but unlike the 1940's, Bucky had not made any moves on her. He was a changed man, a still grieving man.

"Maybe we can take a trip down to Manhattan and try to see him."

"I won't drive in the City, but I know where we can catch the bus."

So, that's what they did, except it didn't turn out the way they expected.

* * *

"OK, I understand. So, then can we make an appointment?"

The receptionist flipped thru pages and pages of the book in front of her. "How about July 30th?"

"That's 2 months away. There's nothing before that?"

"I'm afraid not."

Sighing, Mary nodded. The woman took their information and bid them a good day. Bucky put his arm around her shoulders and they left Stark Tower.

"After this Iron Man thing, he's probably pretty busy."

"I know, Bucky, but right now, he's the closest thing we have to finding out answers."

"Hey, I've waited 63 years to find answers; I think a couple more months aren't going to hurt."

"Ok, so, what do want to do now?"

"Wanna take the train into Brooklyn?"

* * *

A couple of days before the appointment in July, Mary got a message on her answering machine, apologizing, but Mr. Stark would have to re-schedule, and a date in August was left.

When that date came, the same thing happened with a new date in September.

And then there was a new date for October.

"No one is that busy, that he can't spare 5 minutes!"

"I suppose…." Bucky was at a loss for words.

"Well, let's take another trip, maybe we'll luck into a cancellation."

"I'm sorry, but Mr. Stark isn't seeing anyone today."

"Can we wait in the lobby for a while, maybe someone cancels?"

"If you're here without an appointment, you'd be loitering. I'd have to call the police."

"Are you kidding me? We just need literally 5 minutes."

"I'm sorry."

"Can we at least book another appointment?"

"Mr. Stark isn't accepting any new appointments at this time."

"What? We've been waiting since May."

"I know, but he's a very busy man."

"What about the appointment we do have?"

She looked it up. "Oh, yes, I see it. I'm afraid it would have to be canceled as well."

Mary looked like she was going to explode, so Bucky turned her towards him. "It's not the end of the world. We'll figure something out."

"But, Bucky…."

"We'll figure it out, we will."

He put his arm around her and they walked out.


	17. Chapter 17

The Curse of Dr. Zola

Chapter 17

Iron Man would keep making headlines over the course of the next couple of years, (2008-2010), which they followed, and in those years Bucky and Mary got closer. He eventually left his bedroom and moved into hers.

They couldn't get married because of Bucky's status, but she was okay with it, and Bucky got used to the idea eventually.

He spent this time exploring his enhancements from the serum he had received and perfecting his training.

Landscaping was good solid, honest work, but Bucky felt this need tugging at him. He could do so much, but, he wasn't really helping people.

The words that Mary's grandmother spoke to him, echoed over and over in his head. _How was he supposed to help people?_ She said he was destined to, but he couldn't figure out how he was supposed to do that.

He had a conversation with Mary about it one autumn evening.

"She clearly said HYDRA. I don't know exactly all of what or who HYDRA was, but she saved me from them. She said they wanted to make me into their weapon, whatever that was supposed to mean. She also said that because she saved me, she doomed another man. She said she knew things, but never explained how she knew them. Working is great, I get paid, and I get a workout at the same time, but I need more. I need to finish the training she started me with."

"There are lots of places you can join to get mixed martial arts training."

"I want to find one."

She helped him find a couple of places to join, and he quickly moved up thru the ranks. He found a boot camp organization and completed that.

At home, she helped him set up an obstacle course similar to what the army had back in his day, and added modern day obstacles to make it more challenging. They had to make it as hard as they could and Bucky trained there every day; rain or shine, even in winter.

Inspired by Iron Man's deeds, Bucky decided he wanted to do something similar, and become a "super-hero" like the Iron Man, but without Tony's attitude.

Confronted by the task of choosing a name for himself, he consulted Mary.

"Well, who are you? Who do you see yourself as?"

"I don't know. I got involved with all of this because I got captured in the war. I was just a soldier, doing my part, trying to save democracy from Hitler, at least that's what I was led to believe."

"How about Super Soldier?"

"No."

"Mr. Incredible."

"What? No."

"Well, you are pretty incredible to me."

Bucky laughed, and pulled her close. "You're pretty incredible to me too."

"So, when do you think you'll start this?"

"I don't know. I thought I'd wait until the winter was over, but every night when I watch the news, people are getting hurt in car accidents. All the snow and ice…I could save people if I could get them out faster."

"Well, since you're starting out in the winter, how about the Winter Soldier?"

He bounced the thought around in his head.

"And I did find you frozen in that capsule…"

"I like it. The Winter Soldier it is."

Bucky and Mary went to a police and military supply store and bought a Kevlar vest, black camouflage face paint, black uniform pants and shirts, a black winter jacket, boots, and an assortment of weapons and holsters; no guns.

She helped him with his outfit and added little touches here and there, and when they were done, Bucky looked in the mirror.

He'd let his hair grow long and left some scruff on his face. He hardly recognized himself. He certainly didn't look like the clean-shaven Army soldier from 1944 anymore.

They bought a police scanner, and listened for trouble.

When a call came in about an apartment building in flames, Bucky donned his suit and went into action. He saved an old man, a woman and her child, and even rescued a cat from certain death. He nodded at the fire and police who had witnessed his heroism but Bucky disappeared before anyone could question him.

He started with the local stuff, and expanded his area to include NYC, and became quite the urban legend. He certainly got Tony Stark's attention.

Tony was on his way to a meeting with Pepper, when the traffic backed up due to an accident. One car was so badly wrecked they were waiting for the Jaws of Life to get the person out. The driver was in critical condition, and the EMT's weren't sure if they were going to make it.

The Winter Soldier showed up and ripped open the car door and freed up the driver so that the EMT's could get him into the ambulance.

Tony had just gotten his Iron Man suit on, (it had to fly from Stark Tower to him,) and he watched the Winter Soldier disappear out of sight.

He took to the air and started tracking him, but it was if he had completely vanished!

When Tony stopped looking, Bucky simply got out of the car he had jumped into, much to the shock and delight of the woman who was driving, and left. Bucky left her with a kiss to her cheek and a finger shush to his lips.

Altho he looked quite ferocious to some people, his deeds spoke for him, so he spoke very little. He needed to keep his identity a secret.

Tony didn't like competition, and he didn't like the Winter Soldier.

Imagine his surprise and consternation when the Winter Soldier began showing up with the green faced Wicked Witch of the West!

Yes, it was Mary.

She had finally disclosed her secret gift to Bucky. Her mother had a gift. Her grandmother had a gift. It was passed down thru their genes.

Mary, who had never finished training with her mother, now practiced in secret, with Bucky's help. Each of the women had a different gift, the genes mutating with each new generation. Mary's grandmother could look into the future with some degree of accuracy. Mary's mom could manipulate people and get them to do want she wanted them to do. Mary could levitate objects, including herself to a sufficient degree, and read and send thoughts and feelings to other people's minds. It worked the best when she was able to get close enough to touch them. She mostly watched Bucky's back on missions while he was doing what he did best.

As Bucky's notoriety grew, he also caught the attention of other people; people who were not happy to see the Winter Soldier.

Bucky and Mary kept their escapades to a minimum, as they still wanted to have their own life and spend time together. They were happy to let Tony have the spotlight.

They took pleasure trips down to NYC upon occasion, but abandoned their efforts to speak to Tony. Mary was still upset over it, but Bucky just put it out of his mind.

On one such trip tho, they ran into an impromptu press conference being held outside of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. Apparently Tony and the girl of the day were in attendance and after the show, the press gathered and were asking him questions about the future of Iron Man and the arrival of the Winter Soldier. Tony wasn't saying very nice things, and it made Mary mad. Bucky was trying to get her to leave before she said something to draw attention to them. Finally, she acquiesced, but not before she sent a glaring look at the floozy.

Bucky laughed. "For a moment there, I thought you were jealous."

"Jealous? Jealous of that floozy? You've got to be kidding me! Neither of them have any class or self-respect!"

A departing reporter took an interest and started heading over, but Bucky put his arm around Mary's shoulders and walked her away. The reporter jogged to catch up.

"Excuse me, but I couldn't help but overhear your comments. I take it you don't like Tony Stark very much."

Bucky waved him off. "No comments."

"Ma'am? What do you think about Tony Stark and his Iron Man?"

Mary looked about to say something, but she caught Bucky's expression, and just shook her head. The reporter followed them for a bit, but a stern look from Mary changed his mind. She sent a random thought to him and his attention was diverted until they made good their escape.

"You can't let Tony get under your skin like that."

"I know, but you forget that I can pick up on emotions and thoughts."

"You dropped your guard, didn't you?"

"For a moment, I did, but that was because he was saying terrible things about you!"

"He doesn't know me, for starters, and since when do you care what Tony Stark has to say?"

Her shoulders drooped. "You're right. Tony is just an arrogant buffoon."

"Let's enjoy the rest of our evening, shall we?"


	18. Chapter 18

The Curse of Dr. Zola

Chapter 18-May 2011

Mary was driving home from shopping one afternoon, listening to the radio, and a special news bulletin broke into the regular newscast…. Found! Captain America found alive in ice from 1945! Mary nearly drove off the road into the ditch. _WHAT?! OH GOD, BUCKY!_

She hurried home as best she could. She parked the truck and bolted for the house. Inside, she found Bucky pale as a ghost, sitting on the sofa and watching the news.

"It's him! It's really him! Mary, how can this be? I've got to see him! We gotta find a way!" He got up and started pacing around the living room.

"We'll figure something out, Bucky, we will."

For the next month or so, they tried figuring out where Steve was, without any luck and it was driving Bucky crazy.

When another month went by, Bucky was feeling frantic. Nothing Mary could do was having any effect.

"But he's my friend!"

"I know that, but honey, I don't know what to do. If we don't know where he is, we can't go there. All I can think of is to have a reason that will bring him to us."

* * *

Mary woke up one night to find that Bucky had left the bedroom. She got up and went to find him. He was looking out the front window at the darkness, lost in his memories. She crept up behind him, her arms circling around his waist. She drew him into a gentle embrace, and slowly nuzzled his back. He wore a modern day tank undershirt, reminiscent of the 40's and pajama bottoms.

Her nuzzling started to include a tiny kiss here and there. He smiled, and turned around. He looked down at her. He smoothed down her long hair and then drew her head to his chest.

They fit together perfectly. He rested his jaw on the top of her head.

"I know you miss him terribly Bucky, and the time will come when you get to see your friend again. I know it preys on your mind, and weighs heavy in your heart, but for now, just be joyous that he's alive and well."

"I'll try."

With that, he turned and walked her back to the bedroom.

* * *

Hand in hand, they walked together at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, looking up at the unisphere.

"I remember being here in '39, with Steve. We saw our first television. The screen was this big." He let go of her hand to demonstrate a screen equivalent to the size of modern day tablets. "And the console was at least 3 feet high by two feet wide."

Mary smiled, as he continued. "My last night before reporting for duty was spent right here at the World Exposition of Tomorrow back in '43. Howard Stark was showcasing his newest invention-a car that didn't have to touch the ground. I got Steve a date, and we were planning to go dancing after. Steve had other plans, and he went to try his luck at enlisting, for the 6th time, right in the middle of our double date! And then…." It was only then that Bucky had noticed he was walking alone, and turned around to find Mary just standing still, about 10 feet behind him. "What's wrong?" He walked back.

"I have an idea."

* * *

"Ladies and gentlemen, what if I told you that in just a few short years, your automobile won't even have to touch the ground at all? With Stark Revidic Reversion Technology you'll be able to do just that."

Those were the words printed on the full sized page of the newspaper. Below, were the instructions.

"Meet me on your birthday, at noon, at the place these words were spoken. B."

Bucky had fretted about the newspaper ad, but Mary thought it would be the only way Steve would get the message. Only he would know who spoke those words and where, and if they tied Steve's birthday into it, only he would understand the message. It would make no sense to anyone else, so Bucky went along with it.

Little did they realize, someone else was interested in the words printed on the page, and they focused on just one word.

* * *

He sifted thru some old files until he found what he was looking for. He opened the file and studied it for a long while. Then he read the notations that went along with it, including the dates.

He unfolded an aged piece of newspaper that had been included and saw the last piece of the puzzle.

He cross referenced the data he uncovered into the computer, and came up with the location and date he needed.

"Let's see who shows up!"

* * *

They arrived early, having stayed over at the Best Western to be close to the park, just over a half mile away. Bucky shook his head at the price, but Mary just handed over her credit card. "I could've paid 4 months' rent for what you just paid for a single night."

"Welcome to the 21st Century."

They stopped at a deli on the way, and picked up bagels and coffee for three. Mary put down a blanket ala picnic style in a strategic spot to watch for Steve. They sat down and began noshing on their bagels and coffee.

Just before noon, a tall blond man wandered close to where Bucky said was the right spot.

"I'll go over first. You're sure that it's him?"

"Are you kidding me?" Bucky lowered his sunglasses and his water-colored blue eyes said the rest.

Mary got up and tossed their trash in a nearby trash bin. She wandered over by Steve with her camera. "Hey, can you take a picture of me?"

Steve smiled and nodded. "I'll try."

"You just look thru here, spin the dial here for focus, and push this button."

"Got it."

She positioned herself where she wanted, and waited for the click.

"Excellent! Thank you so much. I hate to take advantage of you, but could you take one with me and my boyfriend?" She waved Bucky over.

Steve looked at his watch, took a quick glance around, but nodded.

"I'm sorry, are you waiting for someone? I promise this will be quick."

Bucky wrapped his arm around Mary, and they posed for the camera. When the click ended, Bucky walked towards him to retrieve the camera. When Steve handed it to him, he nodded. "Thanks Steve."

Disbelief flashed onto Steve's face. "Bucky?"

"I told ya, I'm with ya til the end of the line, pal." Bucky removed his sunglasses.

The scruff covered his face, and his hair was a lot longer, but Steve recognized his old friend. "Oh my God! Is it…? It really is! It is you! How?" Steve pulled Bucky into a crushing hug that made Bucky's ribs creak under the strain.

When they pulled apart, Bucky sized him up. "You were a lot smaller as I remember."

Steve looked down at his body. "Yeah, it's a long story."

Mary intervened. "Before we get into that, we got you a coffee and a bagel. If you're anything like Bucky, you'll need it."

Bucky made introductions and they sat down. While Steve munched on his bagel, and drank his coffee, Bucky filled him in on some of the stuff he'd been up to. Steve's eyebrows rose occasionally as Bucky told him the condensed version of his story, but he never interrupted his old friend.

Off in the distance, someone was watching them…

They invited Steve to come stay with them, and Steve accepted. He walked back to their truck with them. He fully expected Bucky to get behind the wheel, but he stopped short of the vehicle, and turned to Mary. "Do you want me to drive?"

Mary looked at him. "You're not driving my truck, not here in the city, anyway. So, who has the longer legs?"

Steve did a double take. "What?"

"I think that's you Steve." Bucky stood side by side with him, and nodded. "Definitely you."

"Congratulations, you get the center seat. Jump in. Do you have clothes or something to grab on the way?"

"There's not much, but if it's not too much trouble to make a stop…."

"Just show me where I need to go."

Steve directed her to a small gym. He had rented a small room above it. He picked up some stuff and they headed out. Mary had punched in the buttons on her GPS to direct them home.

While Mary drove them upstate, Steve asked Bucky about what happened after he got captured.

Bucky drew in a big breath and a strange expression passed across his face. "Maybe we better wait on that for now."

Steve frowned, but respected his friends' wishes.

When Mary finally made the highway turn off Steve asked if they were close.

"Yes, just a few minutes."

"Good, because that coffee is catching up to me."

Mary laughed. "I'm glad we put in that second bathroom!"

Mary turned the corner onto the dirt road, and Steve looked on curiously. When they pulled up in front of the house, Steve turned to Bucky. "You live here?"

With a sheepish blush on his face, Bucky nodded. "It was left to Mary when her mom passed away."

Mary led the way and showed Steve the bathroom, while Bucky ran downstairs.

Steve came out of the bathroom, and Mary pointed across the hall. "You can use this bedroom." Mary disappeared into the bathroom.

Steve was surprised when Bucky emerged from a doorway behind him.

Bucky laughed. "Come with me and I'll show you the improvements."

They were laughing when they came back upstairs. Mary greeted them. "The room is yours for as long as you want it. I'm going to go start dinner. You guys can catch up."

Outside, near the tree line of the woods surrounding the happy little cottage, the man who had been watching them at the park earlier had followed them home...


	19. Chapter 19

The Curse of Dr. Zola

Chapter 19

"Dinner's ready!"

She let the men go first. Steve felt guilty about piling up his plate but Bucky urged him to load it up. Behind them, Mary giggled. Steve turned. "It's okay, Steve, eat up. I've learned how to cook for the army." She glanced at Bucky.

"Thank God she doesn't make Spam. I don't think I could eat another mouthful of that stuff."

They settled around the table to enjoy their meal.

When Bucky finally sat back and announced he was full. Steve roared. "I remember your father saying your stomach was a bottomless pit."

"The first time I asked for permission to go to your house he was happy to not have to feed me!"

They chatted about the past and Bucky told Steve what he remembered about the last days in '44, and his first day in 2007.

"That's not the whole story, Bucky."

"Yes, it is."

"Not quite, Steve. He neglected to mention that when I woke him up from the capsule, he was, and pun intended, buck naked."

Bucky turned beet red, and Steve was thoroughly enjoying it.

"It was…" She paused to think. "It was a Bowery Boys comedy of errors trying to keep the towel around his waist." She glanced at Bucky. "I can't even imagine the look that was on my face when the door to the capsule slid open and there you were."

"In all my glory." Bucky added to her statement, as he spread his arms wide in the air triumphantly.

"I don't know if I'd go that far." She winked, and Bucky started blushing again. "But once I got him standing up and the towel around his waist he fell over on top of me!"

"I did not!"

"You knocked the wind out of me, and it was all I could do just to push you off. Anyway, you probably just don't remember, you were still pretty out of it. I had to get him up the stairs, and the damn towel kept falling off. He almost fell on me going up the staircase. I honestly don't know what kept him on his feet until we got to the bathroom, and then I had to yank the towel up because he had to sit on the toilet. That was fun."

"I don't even remember any of that."

"I was horrified the entire time, Steve. My mother never told me about Bucky or any of this. I had just moved into the house and I find out about a secret room and there's a naked man in my basement!"

Steve laughed.

"I thought about calling 911, to get emergency help, but I couldn't come up with an explanation. I could almost hear the call now….'ma'am, what is your emergency? Well, you see there's a naked man in my house and his towel keeps falling off.' You see where I'm going with this?"

Steve leaned back in his chair roaring with laughter, as Bucky turned the deepest red yet, but he smiled in spite of himself.

When Steve got his breath back, he clapped his friend on the shoulder. "Bucky wasn't always so modest, in fact, he was quite the ladies' man back in the day."

"Well, all it took was a good woman to make me into a one woman man." He smiled at Mary.

"That, and the fact that who else would believe his story?" Spoofing Bucky, Mary stood up, hitched up the waistband of her pants, and went into her imitation. "But, baby, believe me when I tell you I'm 94 years old!"

Both men began laughing all over again. Steve was holding his stomach with his left hand and the right clapped over the left part of his chest.

When they caught their breath, Mary began clearing the dishes away. Steve jumped up immediately to help. She smiled and accepted his offer. She cleaned up the dishes and loaded them into the dishwasher, and set it to wash.

They went into the living room where Steve marveled at the uniquely designed furniture. "This is amazing."

"My mother designed it. I guess she had Bucky in mind all thru the house." She looked around in a circle.

"When I got Bucky upstairs, I brought him to the bed and got him to lie down. I had a heck of a time pushing his legs up and to make him comfortable. I threw a warm blanket over him. When he woke up the next morning, he was wearing a bathrobe that he found hanging on the back of the bedroom door. I had gotten up early and was reading this."

She pulled the composition book from the desk shelf. Steve opened it and started flipping pages. He skimmed over bits and pieces, but he saw how it filled in the spaces of his memory.

"Who wrote this?" Steve looked at Mary curiously.

"My grandmother started it back in the 1940's, my mother filled in some more, and I guess they left enough space for me."

Steve sat down, his face going white. Bucky was instantly concerned. "What is it? What's wrong?"

Steve explained how some men came into camp telling a story about a woman who had rescued them from a HYDRA factory prison, and then let them go, and about the sacrifice Bucky made to insure their freedom. "Bucky, you won the Congressional Medal of Honor for what you did. They all verified the story, and I put you in for it. As you were listed as MIA, the medal went to your parents back home."

Bucky's jaw went slack. He was speechless.

"I'm going to make some calls tomorrow, and I'll try to find out what happened to it. Okay?"

Bucky could only nod. He felt tears welling up. _They made it back to camp! They all made it!_


	20. Chapter 20

The Curse of Dr. Zola

Chapter 20

In the morning, the men got up fairly early, with Mary trailing behind sleepily. She poured hot water from the kettle into her cup. Dunking her tea bag repeatedly, she joined them at the table, putting her head down on it.

Bucky reached over and absent-mindedly smoothed down her unruly morning hair. "She's not an early riser."

Mary responded by shaking her head back and forth.

"I'm sorry if we woke you." Steve apologized.

Mary just sort of mumbled; the sound muffled by her arms.

"She said it's okay."

She picked her head up. "Why don't you take him on a run thru your boot camp course?"

"Boot camp course?" Steve looked at Bucky curiously.

"Yeah, it'll be fun!"

Mary got up and started making breakfast. Since Bucky ate like a lumberjack, she doubled everything. Bucky got up and helped. He gave Steve the job of setting the table.

Mary got herself a bowl of cold cereal, while the men ate eggs, bacon, oatmeal, toast, juice and coffee.

"So, tell me about this course, Buck."

"I built it based on the obstacle course we had a boot camp, but much harder. You'll love it! It has a crawl under space, used tires to step into, overhead monkey bars, a cargo net wall to scale, a zip line, and a water hazard with a swing rope, a rock wall, balance beams, vaulting logs, and a Burma rope bridge."

"Sounds fun, let's go!"

"I'm going to shower while you guys are out. Have fun!"

The men got changed and met out front. Mary watched them jog down the trail until they disappeared, then she got ready for her shower. She figured she had a good hour, maybe 90 minutes before they got back.

* * *

From the tree line, he watched the men leave from his position, until they had vanished around the apple trees and rock wall behind the house. He scanned the house using the latest in heat seeking technology, and discovered where the woman of the house was. He used the time to sneak up and position himself. When he knew she was moving about the house, he banged on the front door.

Mary was startled at the sudden loud knocking and glanced at the clock. It had only been 20 minutes!

She went to the front door thinking Bucky had forgotten his keys…again. Ready to chastise him gently, she opened the door only to see Iron Man's palm powered up right in her face.

"Back up. Keep your hands where I can see them."

Mary backed up very slowly; her hands clutched the towel she had wrapped around her. She was taken by surprise and was afraid.

Tony kicked the door shut behind him. "Where did they go?"

"The, the, the obstacle course in the back."

"How long do you expect them to be gone?"

"An hour, maybe."

"Good. That's long enough for us to have a chat."

* * *

Bucky and Steve raced each other over the course, both of them trying to gain ground over the other. Bucky had a distinct advantage as he knew the layout better, but Steve was not going to give up so easily.

The last part of the course was a sprint to the finish line. Bucky beat Steve by a fraction of a second.

Half laughing and half catching their breath, they congratulated each other on a well-run race.

"I don't usually have competition out here; you pushed me to be better."

"This must have taken a lot of work, Buck. You built this?'

Bucky nodded. "I wanted to finish my training; the training I started in '44. I knew I had to up my game, so I added a few things since then."

"It's a challenge alright. I like it."

"Well, stay with us for a while and we can train together."

"What is Mary going to say to that?"

"Believe me when I say that she'll be over the moon. Let's get back and get showered."

"Race you back!" Steve launched himself without warning, leaving Bucky trying to catch up.

"Oh no you don't." Bucky took off after him.

Steve won the race back to the house, but Bucky was right behind him. They were laughing as they entered the house.

In the kitchen, out of sight, Mary sat on a chair. Tony still had his palm weapon aimed at her.

"Call him!" Tony hissed, never taking his eyes off her.

In a trembling voice she shouted for Bucky. "BUCKY! BUCKY!"

Both men were instantly alarmed by the fear in her voice and ran to the kitchen to see Iron Man keeping Mary all but hostage.

"Hold up there now. Don't make any sudden moves." Tony warned them.

Steve held Bucky back from storming the kitchen and taking Tony out.

"What's the meaning of this?" Steve demanded.

"We're all going to have a nice little chat."

"Mary, did he hurt you? I swear to God if you hurt her…."

"I'm okay, Buck, just scared. He took me by surprise."

"Why don't you two take those seats there, and we'll all have that nice conversation." He turned to Mary. "Is he the one making my life hell?"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Mary was shivering in her towel.

"He's the Winter Soldier, isn't he?" Tony appraised Bucky for a moment before realizing what that meant. "Are you the Wicked Witch?"

Mary looked at Bucky.

Tony retracted his helmet. "And now we have Captain America, back from the Ice Age."

"Who the hell are you?" Steve demanded.

"He's Tony Stark." Mary supplied.

"Stark? Are you related to Howard?"

"That was my father! Now, what I want to know who is going to tell me what they know about my father's Revidic reversion technology?"

"I've told you that none of us know anything about it!"

"Don't lie to me! I saw the ad in the paper. It was **very specific**."

"We just used those words because we knew that only Steve would know where those words were spoken. We wanted to find him, to meet up with him. We couldn't go to Steve, so we thought we'd bring him to us."

"But how would you even know about the technology, let alone know what he said or where he said…" Tony stopped to think. "You were there." He said to Steve.

"Yes, I was there. The car rose into the air for about 5 seconds and then crashed to the ground. I worked with Howard in the army during the war."

"The vita-rays….I saw some of the leftover notes my father made. You were an army experiment."

"It was developed by Dr. Abraham Erskine, but Howard helped."

Tony moved a little closer to Mary. "How did you know Steve was there that night?" Mary drew back.

"I knew! Now, leave her alone!" Bucky stood up. "Come over here, Mary."

Mary slid off her chair and nestled herself up to Bucky. "Stop threatening her, deal with me."

"Explain."

"I knew the words because I was there."

"That's impossible! I can see why Rogers would know. This had better be good."

Bucky explained it to him in a nutshell.

"So, where is this time capsule?" Tony finally asked.

"It's in my basement. We tried to get an appointment with you for months, but kept getting denied. We thought you might be the only one who could help us. We can't even get married!"

"Show me."

They brought him downstairs and showed him the secret room, the time capsule and the generator.

Tony disengaged from his Iron Man suit and began examining the machine.

"This is incredible! It seems very similar to my arc reactor. I've got to get this back to my lab and take it apart."

"NO! My mother left everything here to me, including the capsule and the generator. It powers my house along with the solar panels. It runs my electricity, my hot water, and my heat. You can't just take it away and leave us with no heat. It stays. It belongs to me." She looked up at Bucky. "It belongs to both of us."

Tony looked at her. She had a fierce determination in her eyes, but Tony also saw something else, something he didn't expect to find. She had true love in her eyes; true love for the man next to her.

Tony's ill temperament softened. "I'll take a look at it and let you know what I think."

Bucky sent Mary upstairs to get dressed while the men watched Tony examine the apparatus.

He managed to take off the roof of the generator and that's as far as he got. Steve stopped him.

"Don't touch that!"

"What? This?" Tony pointed to the source of the blue glow.

"I watched a man disintegrate holding a cube of blue…whatever it was, and this looks very similar."

"Ok, not touching that."

Mary re-entered the room, and peered into the guts of the generator. "Wow, that kinda reminds me of Mom's necklace."

"Your mom had a glowing blue necklace?" Tony looked at her.

"No, it was orange actually."

Bucky interrupted. "I think I remember your grandmother wearing an orange stone on a chain around her neck."

Mary went white. "An orange stone? Are you sure?"

"Yeah, yeah, I think so."

She grabbed Bucky by his biceps, and gave him a little shake. "Are you sure, Bucky? I need you to be absolutely sure."

"Why? What's the matter?"

Mary ran for the composition book and brought it back downstairs.

"Where is it? Where is it?"

"What are you looking for, Mary?"

She flipped pages in the book. "I saw it in here somewhere."

Her eyes scanned the book. "Here it is. Read this Bucky."

Bucky read the passage that Mary had pointed out to him, and his eyes grew wide.


	21. Chapter 21

The Curse of Dr. Zola

Chapter 21

"And then there was this capsule thing, but she wouldn't let me take it and bring it back here to Stark Tower for a thorough analysis."

Pepper looked at Tony with a skeptical expression. "And so…?'

"I'm going to bring some stuff there."

"How long is this going to take?"

"Well, that's the thing. I kind of booked us there for the week, and…"

"Us? You agreed to this without even asking me?"

"Well, it's a little place, the kind you'd like, but they've agreed on us staying for a visit. When I suggested you come along, Mary seemed delighted to have another girl in the house while us men do all the technical boring stuff."

"I see, and when were you going to tell me?"

"Well, I thought I just did."

Pepper sighed, the frustration she felt with Tony visible on her face.

"I think you'd like her. She makes homemade cookies."

Pepper broke into a smile and shook her head. "Fine, I'll go along. When are we leaving?"

"Friday."

"That's tomorrow!"

"Oh, so it is. I've got a couple things to do before we leave, so I better do them. I'll see you later." And true to form, Tony left her in the room wondering how she was going to get everything done in time.

* * *

"Ok guys, don't forget, Tony and Pepper will be here this afternoon. I've got to go shopping for dinner. Any suggestions on what I should cook?"

"I get the feeling unless you have a chef cater to us all week he won't like anything, so make whatever you like."

"You're so helpful sometimes, Bucky."

Steve looked down to hide his smile. They sounded like a married couple all right. Steve had always envisioned Bucky coming back from the war, settling down with the right girl, having a family, maybe getting a house in the more residential section of Brooklyn. He himself had fallen in love with Agent Peggy Carter, but he was too afraid to tell her how he felt until it was too late. He had wanted a family too, but now, without Peggy, it seemed just another dream of his had been pushed aside.

"What about chicken? Everyone likes chicken, right?" Steve submitted helpfully.

"I was kinda leaning that way, but I haven't decided how I want to prepare it."

Bucky came over to put his arms around her shoulders from behind her and leaned down to kiss her ear. "I'm sure no one will mind whatever you fix."

A big smile spread across her face accompanied by a pink blush as Bucky nibbled her ear. "If you don't stop, I'll never get to the market."

"And what would be wrong with that?" He nibbled a little more.

Her blush deepened and even Steve blushed in response and looked at the floor.

She gently elbowed him to loosen his grip, but he turned her around. "Oh no you don't." And then he pulled her into a kiss.

At first she tried to fight him, but succumbed to the kiss eventually. "Ooh, you you, make me so mad sometimes!"

Bucky laughed at her mock anger. It was a little game they played.

She shook her head at him and sighed. "I can never stay mad at you." She gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "But I really do have to go to the market. I'll be back in an hour. Could you boys just please keep the house neat until I get back?"

"Well, sorry Steve, I guess our living room wrestling match is canceled."

She turned around and shook her finger at him. "Keep it up and you'll be sleeping on the couch mister."

Bucky flattened his hands on his chest, staggered around like he was dying, and moaned. He fell to his knees. "Oh no, Not the couch!"

"See if you can talk to him while I'm gone, please Steve?"

Steve laughed. "I will, but I doubt it'll help."

* * *

Tony's Maserati bumped along the dirt driveway.

"Where are we going? Is this even a road?" Pepper asked.

Behind them, a box truck and another car bumbled along as well.

"This is where they live."

"You've got to be kidding!"

Pepper's consternation changed to delight as the charming house came into view.

He parked on the outside my Mary's pick-up, and directed the box truck to back up in front of the archway for unloading.

Mary came out first, wiping her hands on the kitchen towel she carried. Bucky and Steve followed.

"You must be Pepper, welcome." Mary extended her hand. Pepper took it graciously. "You must be Mary. Thanks for having us."

Mary's eyes glanced away to look at the equipment in the truck. Pepper turned to follow her gaze.

"There goes my neat and tidy house…."

"I'll make sure Tony cleans up after."

Meanwhile, she introduced Bucky and Steve before they went to help unload.

"I don't want to see. Let's go to the kitchen. Would you like some coffee?" They left to go inside.

Tony talked to the driver who then got in the car that tagged along. Steve watched them drive off.

"I take it they are coming back to pick all this stuff up?"

"Yup." Tony didn't even spare a glance at Steve; his focus was solely on the equipment.

After many trips down the stairs, they convened in the living room and shared the lemonade Mary had freshly made.

"So, Steve has offered you the use of his room downstairs, or you can have the ground floor room; the choice is yours."

Tony shrugged, but Pepper was a little more gracious. "We wouldn't want to put you out Steve; the room upstairs is fine, closer to the coffee."

Tony kept inputting data into his hand held device. Pepper elbowed him. "Huh? What? Yeah, whatever.'

Pepper just shook her head.

* * *

Dinner turned out informal but delicious, according to Pepper, who helped load the dishwasher while all the boys disappeared downstairs.

Any free space in the basement was consumed by Tony's equipment. Steve and Bucky had to walk sideways to squeeze in between and even then, it was a tight fit.

"Should I ask what some of this stuff does?" Bucky asked, looking doubtful.

"You wouldn't understand it anyway."

Bucky looked at Steve, who shrugged.

Tony kept working until the women came down with coffee, only then did Tony take a break.

"I've gone thru as much of my father's old war stuff as I could, but this stuff is beyond what he was working on at the time. Fortunately, it is well preserved, so I should be able to come up with some answers for you. I really wish you'd let me take it back to my lab tho."

Mary shook her head. "I've already given you my answer on that. It's hooked up to the house…"

"And it powers everything, I know! You're living in a totally self-sufficient house! It's amazing! I'm actually working on the same thing right now for Stark Tower. It'll be a beacon of self-sustainability."

"Based on the thing that powers your suit?"

"Yes, my arc reactor, but this thing here runs on something I've never seen before." He tapped it with his toe. "And you came out of this thing here?" Tony turned to the capsule.

"They put me in there in 1944 and when Mary pushed the buttons, it was 63 years later." Bucky looked at the metal capsule with apprehension. "It kept me alive, if you want to consider that living, but I was a prisoner in it. When I came out of it, the whole world had changed, I'd lost my best friend, and I was alone. I don't even know how they got me out of Germany in this thing!"

"That's what I'd like to know too. According to my mother, her mom brought them to the US when she was 4 from Canada. How they got across the ocean with Bucky in tow is anyone's guess."

Steve crossed his ankles and shifted his weight. "What about that journal? Any clues in there?"

"Some of it gives vague references, but not the whole story."

"Maybe it's not as vague as you think. It might be time to re-read it."


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Flashback-1944

Bucky was lying on his bed, waiting for the lights to go out. After supper each night he was escorted back to his tiny room and locked in. Usually within 30 minutes they turned off the lights and left him in the dark. That was his cue to go to sleep, but tonight it seemed longer than usual.

When he heard hurried footfalls in the hall, he sat up. _What's going on?_

He heard the lock click on his door and he started to get up. 4 Nazi soldiers burst in and before he could say a word, he was zapped with the stun gun. Bucky's body stiffened, and then collapsed to the floor as the charge faded. Then something really unusual happened….they caught him before he could crash to the floor!

"What's.….. going…... on? What...… did…... I..…. do?" Bucky chattered out between gritted teeth.

"Remain silent. Your life is in danger."

Bucky was rolled onto his stomach and his hands were tied behind his back tightly. His feet were tied and he was gagged. As Bucky was still feeling the stun gun effects, he offered no resistance. They picked him up and carried him out the door. A black bag was shoved onto his head so he couldn't see and he felt himself being carried up and down unfamiliar hallways. He was totally helpless. It was a terrifying feeling.

They stopped and Bucky heard a metallic grating sound, like a rusty door on a ship. He felt his body being swung and then he felt zero gravity as they tossed him into the air. Panic gripped him for the two seconds it took for him to land. As he landed on his stomach, the impact knocked some of the wind out of him.

"We will come back when the danger has passed."

And then Bucky heard the door creak closed until the clang told him he was locked in.

He was engulfed in the blackness.

At least before, he could see pinpricks of light seeping thru the fabric, but now there was nothing.

He struggled against his bindings, but the Nazi's were too good at their jobs, and Bucky couldn't get free. He strained to hear something, anything, but there was hardly a sound to be heard. In the distance he thought he heard something, and to quell his rising panic, he latched onto it.

He felt an occasional vibration, like a bomb had exploded off in the distance. He didn't know what else to do, so he tried squirming around to find out if he could determine where he was at least.

The space was small, really small, and it did nothing to quiet Bucky's fear. It felt like a coffin.

As the time ticked by, his mind began playing tricks on him. _What if they get hurt and they don't or can't come back for me? How will I get out? Am I going to die here?_ He squirmed some more.

More time ticked by, and Bucky started to feel his shoulders ache and burn from being pulled behind him. _Please don't leave me here. Please come back! Why haven't they come back?_

Hours had passed before Bucky heard a click. He struggled and moaned, desperate to be let out. The door opened and he was pulled from the dark space he'd been locked into.

He was carried back to his room and released from his bonds. She was there.

"I am so sorry, James. I told them to hide you, and keep you quiet. This is not what I had intended, but you had to be hidden away."

"What happened?" He blurted out, his voice shaky.

"They are looking for you. They will stop at nothing to find you."

She traced her fingers along the edge of his jawline gently. "I will not let them hurt you, I promise."

Then she stood up and Bucky was left alone in his room.

* * *

Bucky sat up in bed with a start, shaking and sweating. Mary was jolted awake by his sudden movement.

"What is it Bucky?"

"I felt something….I think." He was jolted awake by his dream of the past, but there was something else…or was it only his imagination? He slipped off the bed and before he could open the bedroom door he heard a soft knocking.

When he opened it, he saw Pepper. Clutching her robe tightly, she asked if he had felt something.

"Downstairs."

"Oh my God, Tony!"

They both ran downstairs and found Steve hovering over Tony, who was dazed and lying on the floor.

"Ok, not doing that again!"

Mary now joined them. "What happened?"

"I couldn't sleep so I came down to tinker with this thing. I touched something the wrong way and it sent out a shockwave; knocked me to the floor."

Mary clapped a hand over her mouth. Tony was going to get hurt tinkering around with this thing, and who knows what the results would be. "Are you ok? Maybe we shouldn't mess with this anymore."

"I've suffered worse trying to get my Iron Man suit developed, it's okay."

Mary just shook her head, turned to leave and was overheard muttering to herself. "I need a drink."

* * *

In the morning as they gathered for breakfast, Mary began passing out coffee. "I don't know about anybody else but I had a hard time going back to sleep after that."

"Me too." Pepper sighed.

Tony just had a half-apologetic expression on his face. "Sorry about that."

"Whatever you do, please don't blow up my house!"

"Whenever I want to clear my head, I go run my obstacle course in the back. Maybe it'll help you."

"I'll think about it." He glanced at Bucky and Steve for a moment and then reconsidered. "Ok, let's do it, after breakfast."

Mary and Pepper made and served breakfast. She gave Mary a questioning look at the amount of food the boys were consuming. Mary just smiled and shook her head.

The boys went to play while the women cleaned up.

When they got back Tony looked a little miffed, and he went straight back to the basement.

Mary, Bucky and Steve sat in the living room and began re-reading every passage from the composition book and discussing it, with Pepper giving an occasional opinion.

"My mother was always secretive, but I never knew why. It frustrated the heck out of me then, but now I know what she was hiding." She glanced at Bucky. "I don't know why she didn't…." Mary trailed off.

Steve perked up. "Did you think of something?"

"Mom was always trying to get me to do these classes with her. When I was younger I joined in, but as I got older, I stopped. I just wanted to do my own thing, you know? People were different, the times were different. I guess she felt rejected. Our relationship was difficult, especially right after daddy died."

"When was that?" Steve prodded.

"1974. Grandma had died and we were coming home from the funeral…." She paused as the memory of that day resurfaced. Tears started falling down her cheeks as the past came hurtling at her. "OhmyGod!"

Bucky pulled her close as wracking sobs overwhelmed her.

When she was able to pull herself together, she finished the story.

"I remember that day so vividly now. I had forgotten it for so long. A car had crashed into us on the way home. Daddy died on impact, and mama was badly hurt. I was on the floor trying to get my teddy bear. I went to stay with daddy's' family until mama got out of the hospital. Once mama got better, she sold the house and we moved out of Orangeburg."

"Orangeburg? Orangeburg, NY?" Bucky asked her.

"Yes. We were living in a house that had been built after Shanks Village was closed."

"Wait! Shanks… Village?"

"Yeah, Shanks Village. It was built from the remains of Camp Shanks for the soldiers returning from WWII and their families. It was part of the GI Bill. Any returning soldier going to continue their education at college would be given priority for cheap housing while he attended. Mama taught me all about the history of Camp Shanks; she said it was important to remember our history. It closed down in 1954 or '55 and parcels were sold off to area residents. Grandma had also lived in the area."

"So, your mother lost her husband and her mother within days of each other." Steve asked.

Mary nodded. "When she got out of the hospital, she was really uptight, and insisted we move straight away. She was always yelling at me until we sold the house. I cried a lot. I heard her cry a lot too."

"I can't imagine why." Steve supplied.

"Anyway, the day we moved Mama wore Grandma's orange necklace. She rarely wore it, that's why I remember it."

"Where is the necklace now, Mary?" Bucky asked.

"I left it in the compartment downstairs. Why?"

"Maybe we should take another look at it."

Mary retrieved it from its' secret hideaway in the blue room, much to Tony's surprise at the secret compartments and brought it back upstairs.

"May I see it?" Mary nodded and handed it to Steve.

He looked all over it, but saw nothing unusual. When he handed it to Bucky the stone began to glow. Surprised, they dropped it and the glow faded. "What the hell was that?" Bucky jumped up.

Mary's eyes got big. "Holy Cow!"

Steve ushered everyone out of the room, and ordered Bucky to stay with the women. He cautiously made his way back and picked up the necklace. Nothing happened. He was totally puzzled. "Mary, are you sure this is the necklace your mother wore?"

"Yes."

"Has it ever glowed like this?"

"Once that I can remember."

"When was that?"

"The day we buried Grandma."


	23. Chapter 23

The Curse of Dr. Zola

Chapter 23

By weeks' end Tony had made as many notations as he could on his laptop and gave a report on what he'd found to his hosts.

"If there is some element in there, it isn't on the Periodic Table. I have no clue as to what powers that thing. It's completely alien."

"When I was back in the war, Howard examined a submarine powered by something totally foreign. It was a getaway vehicle for a HYDRA agent. Howard couldn't figure it out. And Schmidt's plane was powered or partially powered by some blue cube. After we fought it got knocked out of the console and it disintegrated Schmidt into thin air. It burned holes in the plane and fell into the ocean just before I scuttled the plane into the water."

"I'll go thru more of my father's things when I get back. A lot of his notes were confiscated by the Army, but there are still a few things left."

"What about Mary's necklace?"

Tony picked it up from the table, no glow. Pepper picked it up, nothing. Mary picked it up, no reaction.

Bucky picked it up and got the same negative results. The same with Steve.

"Mary, have you handed it to Bucky?"

Mary shook her head. "Here goes nothing." She picked it up and when Bucky's fingers touched the stone it began to glow.

"Try someone else." Steve directed her.

Nothing happened with Pepper or Tony. Steve put his fingers on the stone, and nothing happened! "Huh!"

Bucky tried again and it glowed. "What the hell…" He stared at it.

Bucky took it and Steve touched it, and a glow started.

"What's the common denominator here?" Steve asked.

Bucky let Tony and Pepper try but nothing happened. "It seems it is sensitive only to Mary and Bucky."

"But nothing happened when you and I had it Steve. If that were the case shouldn't it work for either of us and someone else?"

"She has a point." Tony agreed. "It only works in combination with certain people."

"When it glowed for my mother, no one else was touching it."

"Ok, there goes that theory." Tony stared at the necklace. "I got nothing."

Tony finished up reporting what he had learned from examining the blue generator, which wasn't much, but at least they had a start.

Tony and Pepper packed up and went home. He promised he'd keep in regular contact, whether he had learned anything new or not.

Steve suggested that they try and trace the history of the necklace and Mary's family journey from Germany.

Then Bucky threw in a twist. He revealed that Mary's grandmother was from the US, or at least she claimed to be.

Mary couldn't believe it. She'd always thought she was from Germany!

"Your grandmother had a perfect New York accent; in fact, it would be my guess that she was from New York City."

Steve stayed for the summer, enjoying the solitude of the basement room and it gave Mary and Bucky more privacy. While he wasn't certain he agreed with their arrangement of living together, he saw how happy they both were and let it go. He understood why they couldn't get married; at least until they figured out a way to officially bring Bucky into the modern world.

Bucky got two thumbs up from Steve when he donned his Winter Soldier outfit for the first time. Steve was impressed, and they tested out working together locally on a horrific collision involving a tractor trailer.

Steve did a double-take when the Wicked Witch showed up flying on her broom. Bucky chuckled.

As usual, she hung back, and let Bucky do the real work, while she kept a vigil.

Back at home later, Bucky explained how Mary wanted in on the escapades, but was uncertain about how to help. She came up with the idea of the Wicked Witch from Oz, and showed Steve her gifts.

"My mother also had a gift. She didn't show it too much when I was around, but I knew about it. Mine manifested itself about the time I was 14. It was during an especially emotional time for me. I was heart-broken over a crush and it finally showed itself. My mother and I had different gifts, and I am inclined to believe my grandmother also had a gift."

"What was your mothers' gift?'

"She had the power of persuasion. I don't mean like a salesman. She could get anybody to cave on any issue. I believe, from what her attorney told me, she used it to acquire all or most of her wealth. She used it on me when I was little, but when I acquired my own gifts, she trained me to use mine and help keep it under wraps. Her gift never worked on me after that. It was over a year before I showed Bucky."

"So, you can move things with your mind, and influence people?"

"Yes, moving things around is easy, the influence side not as much. My mother was stronger in that, but she couldn't move things."

"How old was your mother when her abilities surfaced?"

"I'm not sure. It seems they emerge under extreme emotional or physical stress, at least for me."

"Uh, living in Germany during the war would certainly have caused that." Bucky said.

"But that would have made her only 4 years old at most. How could a 4 year old deal with that?"

Bucky shrugged.

"OK, well, we've established that much. Let's concentrate on facts, rather than suppositions. Mary, do you think you could find the house you lived in, in Orangeburg?"

"I don't know but we could try."

"Good enough. Maybe there's something in the local newspaper, an article or something, about the accident."

"The library might have old newspapers on microfilm."

"That's a good idea."

The next day they drove to Orangeburg to start their investigation.

Bucky's mouth hung open and he was unusually quiet.

"What is it Buck?" Steve asked with concern.

"This whole area was Last Stop, USA. Camp Shanks was where I was sent to await transport over to Europe. I was only here a few days before we got shipped out. We got woken up in the middle of the night and we had to march with all our gear to the river where a boat was waiting to take us all overseas. That was not a particularly happy trip either. A lot of us got seasick and we were crammed into a space that was way too small. Meals were horrible too, but you ate it because you were so hungry. Your grandmother fed me better."

"I guess they took what supplies they could with whatever space they had to work with." Mary offered.

"Canned spam was not the most satisfying meal. Your grandmother had Yankee pot roast, spaghetti and meatballs, steak…"

"You had steak?" Steve cried. "I didn't get steak!"

"She claimed it was USDA choice American beef. Oh my God, Steve, it was so good!"

Mary stifled a laugh as she pulled into the library parking lot. "Mama told me her mom was a great cook. I don't remember tho. Here's the library…oh look!" She pointed to the sign. "There's the museum for Camp Shanks!"

"Really?" Bucky jumped out before Mary turned the ignition off, and ran over to a tall sign. Steve and Mary followed.

"I remember this, Steve! I was here!"

They soon discovered the museum was closed for the season. The disappointed look on Bucky's face made Mary feel sad. She rubbed his back soothingly. "We'll come back in the spring, I promise."

Bucky just nodded. He felt like another piece of his past was yanked out from under his feet. He never thought coming here would be so emotional for him. He thought about all the guys he was shipped out with as they walked to the front door of the library. _How many didn't come back?_

Mary explained to the woman at the front desk about what she was interested in and she led them to a machine where they could view old newspapers. Since Mary didn't have a clue of the date of her mother's funeral they had to look thru all of the obits for 1974.

"What was your grandmother's name, Mary?" Steve asked innocently.

Mary blanked out for a moment. A strange expression then crossed her face. "Her name was Mary Engel." Mary shivered as some thought came to her.

"What is it, Mary?" Bucky got concerned.

Tears began falling. "Don't you think it odd that I'm named after her and here you are?" She threw her arms around Bucky. "I can't imagine my life without you."

Even Steve couldn't stop the catch in his breath at the emotional coincidence. He got up and asked the front desk if they had any tissues. When he returned, he handed one to both Mary and Bucky. The third one he discreetly kept for himself.

When Mary had wiped all the traces of tears away, they divided up the work and began their arduous task. Strangely enough, it was Bucky who scored. "I got it!" He cried. He found the obit for Mary's grandmother.

Mary Engel, 74, died November 19, 1974. Born in Manhattan November 19, 1900, she was a long-time resident in Orangeburg, New York. She died at home from apparent natural causes. She was pre-deceased by her parents and husband, and survived by a daughter, son in law, and one grand-daughter, named after her. She attended Manhattan College and earned her degree in Education, and then went on to Brooklyn College for an under-graduate degree in performing arts. She taught school for a number of years locally and started the first PTA in the county. She also volunteered tutoring to the soldiers going to college after WWII and spent countless hours conducting free classes at Shanks Village. A graveside service will be held on Friday, November 22, at Rockland Cemetery in Sparkill.

Mary started crying again. "I never knew this."

"Your family has quite a history entwined with Camp Shanks too." Steve noted. "Now that we have the date, we should be able to go right to that day and see if there was any accident report.

Bucky cued up November 22, and they started scanning the pages. When they got to the local section, Steve spotted it.

Orangeburg police have issued a request for help by the public for any witnesses to an accident that happened at the corner of Route 303 and King's Highway earlier today. Mr. and Mrs. Bailey, of Orangeburg were the victims of a hit and run. The car fleeing the scene was a dark colored late model sedan, possibly a Buick LeSabre. One report has the hit and run may have been intentional, as a witness reported that the car never slowed down. The driver was alleged to be a red-haired woman. As Mr. James Thomas Bailey died on impact, a murder investigation follows. Mrs. Bailey was badly injured and taken to Nyack Hospital where she remains in critical, but stable condition. Their 4 year old child, Mary, was miraculously uninjured in the accident and is being taken care of by relatives. Mr. and Mrs. Bailey had just attended the funeral of Mrs. Bailey's mother earlier in the day. Any information will be kept confidential. Please call this number if you were a witness or have any information to share. 555-1111

"Damn." Bucky sat back in his chair.

"Your father's name was James?" Steve said.

"I'd forgotten that too. No wonder I kept calling you James instead of Bucky. Somewhere in the back of my head, there had been a reason. Mama never called him James tho. She called him JT."

"So, your last name is Bailey?" Steve asked.

"Mama re-married, and I was 'adopted', so our last names became Logan. But he died of a heart attack less than a year later, and we moved again."

"The article doesn't mention your mother's first name…" Steve pointed out.

"It was Wilhelmina, but everyone called her Willa."

They searched for any follow up reports, but there were none. Mary made print copies of the accident article, and both her grandmothers' obit and her father's.

Mary went to the front desk to pay for the copies and thank them for helping her out. There was a different woman attending the desk. "That'll be thirty cents."

Mary pulled out a dollar.

As the woman made change, she noticed the name on the obit. "Someone related to you?" She put the coins into Mary's hand.

"My grandmother."

"Really? That's strange."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because you're the second party we've had this week pulling that obit up."

Steve and Bucky looked at her. "Who was here?"

"I don't know her name, but I remember distinctly that she had the reddest hair I've ever seen."

Mary went cold. Steve and Bucky exchanged glances and ushered Mary out of the library.

Once in the truck, Steve pushed Mary inside, and he took the drivers' seat.

"I don't like this." Steve told Bucky.

"Neither do I." Bucky shot back.

In the middle, Mary was silent.

"Where are we going next?" Steve asked Mary. She didn't reply, just stared straight out the windshield.

"Mary, are you okay?" Bucky maneuvered his body towards her.

"Huh?"

"Steve asked where we are going next."

Mary took a deep breath. "The police department."

"How do I get there?" He buckled himself in and turned the ignition.

She gave him directions and they arrived within 7 minutes.

Mary asked at the desk about any police reports regarding an old accident from 1974.

"That would be down in the old archives in the basement if we still have it. May I ask your interest?"

"My father was killed in the accident. I was in the car along with my mother. I was wondering if the person was ever caught."

"I wouldn't know, but you can check with the officer at the desk downstairs. I just need to see your ID."

Mary took it out and the policeman made a copy of it. She looked at Bucky and Steve.

Steve saved the day. "We'll wait for you up here, no need for us to overwhelm them downstairs." They took a seat while Mary disappeared around the corner.

Mary repeated her request.

The old guy at the window looked like he'd seen better days…many years ago. "Let me go look for it." He toddled off, and came back with a dusty old box. "If we have it, it should be in here. We didn't have too many murders back then. This was a peaceful quiet town then." He fingered thru some files. "Ah, here it is. So, why are you looking into this?"

"I was in the car. I was the little girl."

"You don't say!" He handed the manila folder to her.

She flipped thru it. There wasn't much. "Did they ever have any clues as to who was driving the other car?"

"The case went cold soon after; just weren't enough evidence. They found the car ditched not too far away. It had been stolen that very same day."

"Do they know who the car belonged to at least?"

He looked for another file, and pulled it out. "Should be in….here." When he opened the file it was empty. "Where did those papers go?" He looked thru the box again. "Must have been misplaced. They check them out every so often. Someone gets bored, comes down here looks thru the cold case files for something to do, and mis-file it when return it. Sorry, miss."

Mary handed the file back. "You'd have a record if someone checked the file out, wouldn't you?"

"Sure would."

"Has anyone checked it out or asked about the accident in recent days?"

He looked at the logbook. "Nope."

"Well, thank you." Mary turned to leave.

"You know I retired some years ago, but I got bored and took on this job. Once a cop, always a cop, you know. Anyway, I was a rookie back then. My partner died years ago, heart attack I think it was, anyhow, I remember that case. We were the first ones on the scene. What a mess; fouled up traffic for hours. Something always bugged me about that case, never could put a finger to it tho, but I had my theory."

"And what was your theory?"

"That it was no accident. The Collins family…" He pointed to his name badge. "…have been coppers since the early days, when New York was Irish, so you get hunches; nothing that I could find to prove it tho, so they filed it away and moved on to solvable cases. It just felt too coordinated. Where the car was found abandoned, there was a second set of tire tracks. Like there had been a car waiting, but nothing came of it, people pulled over there all the time, make U-turns…if it wasn't for that damn drizzle we might have gotten a clear picture of the tread, but it was just too muddy." He looked at her for a moment. "I remember pulling you out of the back. It was a miracle you were alive. How you ended up on the floor, I'll never know."

Mary sniffled. "I dropped my teddy bear."

"Dear Lord!" He ran off unexpectedly, and came back just as quick. "You mean this one?"

Mary clapped her hand over her mouth. "My teddy!"

"They carted you and your mother off so quick, I didn't get a chance to get it back to you. Take it with you now."

"Oh my goodness! Thank you."

Mary was crying by the time she got upstairs. She collected the boys and they went outside.

"It is amazing that he'd kept it all these years."

Steve again insisted he drive, and after they got on the road, Mary told them the officers' theory. They were both quiet as they contemplated this news.


	24. Chapter 24

The Curse of Dr. Zola

Chapter 24

Life went on, and Mary and Bucky settled back into their routine. Another winter passed uneventfully. They worked on Mary's family history thru the long winter nights and Mary began filling some of the composition book pages.

Meanwhile, they started a separate journey for Steve and people he knew that might still be alive. That's when they discovered Peggy Carter was still alive and living in California. He wasn't sure it was a good idea to visit her; at her age it might be a total shock. But Mary pointed out that it had already been announced to the world that Captain America had been found; she probably already knew. Steve conceded the point and planned a visit when the weather got nicer.

Tony had very little time to do any research because he had his hands full already, keeping the peace. Pepper did nail him down once in a while to make sure he made good on his promise to keep in touch.

In the spring of 2012, they broke ground on a small cottage for Steve. Life was good….

* * *

Knock, knock.

Mary went to answer the door. When she opened it she saw a tall, black man with a patch over one eye standing there.

"May I help you?" She rarely got visitors.

"I'm looking for Steve Rogers. Do you know where I might find him?"

"Who's asking?"

"My apologies, ma'am. My name is Nick Fury; I'm the Director of SHIELD." He showed her his badge.

"He should be back soon, would you like to come in and wait?"

"Thank you." He followed her into the kitchen.

"Would you like some coffee or tea?"

"Tea would be just fine."

She got everything needed and they enjoyed some tea at the table, along with some cookies.

"So, what is Shield exactly?"

"We're a government agency. SHIELD stands for Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division."

"So, you're with Homeland Security?"

"We do more than just Homeland Security. Our job is to keep people safe."

"That's nice to know."

"You know, I didn't get your name."

"Ohmygoodness, I'm so sorry. I'm Mary Logan." They shook hands.

"So, then Steve lives here?"

"Yes."

"Is he your boyfriend?"

"Boyfriend? Oh no. I have a boyfriend. One's enough, thank you very much!" She chuckled. "They go out in the back and do workouts together. So, why are you looking for Steve?"

"I've come to offer him a job."

"Really? That's great. I'm sure he'd like doing more than chopping wood and doing landscaping."

"Is that what he does?"

"My boyfriend does that. Steve helps out. He has a list of clients and does landscaping, odd jobs, snow shoveling, whatever. It's not a business per se; he just does stuff whenever he's needed for our neighbors. It's pretty regular, but there are the occasional lulls."

The sound of the front door opening and voices told Mary the boys had returned. "Mary? Whose car is outside?" Bucky called.

"In the kitchen; Steve has a visitor."

Curious, they both walked in.

Steve recognized him immediately, but it was Fury's reaction to Bucky that got Mary's attention.

"Holy Mother of God, you're Sgt. James Barnes!"

There was a stunned silence. Everybody just froze.

Steve recovered first. "Director Fury."

"Captain Rogers."

"Are you here with a mission sir?"

"I am."

"Trying to get me back in the world?"

"Trying to save it."

Steve introduced Bucky to Fury. Steve assured Mary and Bucky that it was okay to tell him everything and they sat down to discuss the awkward situation.

Fury listened to everything and when Steve was done he sat back in his chair to process all the information.

"That's an incredible story."

"It's one I don't need blabbed all over the world either. I just want to live my life, marry my girlfriend, and be happy."

Steve also told Fury the things they found out about Mary; her grandmother, the accident, the theory of the policeman, and how upsetting this has been for Mary.

"We just want to know that Mary and Bucky can have a normal life together without the notoriety. I'll deal with the media, and all the nonsense. I didn't have a problem with that before I got involved with the war, I sure won't have a problem with it now."

"I can always arrange for Bucky to go into the witsec program."

"What's that?" Bucky leaned forward.

"Witness protection program. We can relocate you and….."

"No." Mary stated firmly. "I am not leaving my home! Bucky just needs papers; a social security number, a driver's license, so he can have a bank account, go to the doctor…"

"I can arrange for him to have a physical. We have the best doctors in the country; in fact, I think it would be a good idea. We can bring you aboard my Heli carrier and get you checked out, and you can come as well to keep an eye on him. Will that be acceptable, Mary?"

She nodded.

"Excellent! If you could give me a few days to arrange everything, I'll give you a call and send someone to pick you up. In the meantime, I'd like to discuss a mission with you Captain. Would you like to take a drive?"

Steve had a serious face when he returned. Bucky stopped him to ask what was going on.

"I'm packing up my stuff, and going with Fury. When the mission is over, I'll give you a call. You guys can meet up with me then."

"Wait, you're just going without me? I can help you, whatever it is."

Steve took Bucky aside. "Right now this is the place you need to be. Keep Mary safe." Before Bucky could protest further, Steve continued. "I am a part of SHIELD. I joined up when I came out of the ice. I didn't know you were alive, Bucky. Please stay here and keep Mary safe, ok? Please? You've got something wonderful here, don't lose it."

Bucky nodded, his throat feeling choked up.

Steve packed up and left with Fury.

Bucky stewed, but the frightened look on Mary's face, kept him home. She wasn't a soldier, Bucky knew that, but he wouldn't let anything bad happen to her.

* * *

A few days later, they both saw on TV what was happening in New York City, and Bucky went nuts.

"We have to get there! We have to Mary. He's my friend!"

"It's too far to drive! We're 2 hours away."

"Mary, can you fly us?"

"I…I…"

"I know it's a lot to ask."

"I don't know if I'm that good, Bucky. I've never flown that far."

"Will you try? Please?"

She looked at the anguish in his face and nodded. "Get dressed."

Bucky ran like a maniac to get suited up. Meanwhile, Mary donned just her Wicked Witch dress, and shoved some things in her pockets.

He tugged her arm as they ran outside.

"You are to drop me off, and get out of there! Do you hear me?"

Mary nodded.

"How do we do this?" Bucky looked at the broom she carried.

Her face was a mixture of confusion, fear, and uncertainty.

"Mary!"

She threw the broom down. "Turn around."

"What?"

"You're the broom! Piggyback style."

Bucky understood and turned around. She hopped on his back, locking her legs around his body, and took a deep breath.

"Hold onto my dress and brace yourself!"

She pushed at the ground until she got them into the air, and then rocketed them forwards.

She leaned forward, and yelled into his ear. "I can't go too high, I'm scared."

He nodded and held her dress tight around him.

As she pushed them, he glanced at the time ticking by. It was still taking too long, he knew it, but he wasn't going to tell her that. Then he got an idea.

"Head east to the Hudson, follow the river."

She steered eastward, and followed it to the city.

Bucky gathered her dress into one hand; with the other hand he risked pointing in the direction they needed to go.

As she pulled up, she felt the tension in Bucky's body rise. She lowered them to the ground as gently as possible, and as soon as she slipped down from his hips, he ordered her away. He bolted towards the fray.

Mary ducked as debris began falling out of the sky, and striking the pavement around her. She ran for cover as soon as she was able.

After a few minutes her fear for Bucky's safety won out, and she ran from cover towards danger.


	25. Chapter 25

The Curse of Dr. Zola

Chapter 25

Bucky came to Steve's rescue, just like in the old days, but this time it wasn't a bully, it was an alien. Bucky sent him flying over Steve's head, causing him to spin around, just barely stopping himself from clocking Bucky in the head.

"Where'd you come from?" Steve asked, startled.

Bucky swung at another alien. "Steve, I thought you'd at least know by now where babies come from."

Steve got red in the face.

Bucky grabbed Steve and spun him around just in time to deflect a bolt of energy from an alien weapon. It glanced off the shield and took out another alien trying to sneak up on them.

"So, what are we up against, besides aliens?"

"Those!" Steve pointed.

Bucky turned around. "Holy Cow!"

"Yeah, I know how you feel."

"No. Look!" Bucky's blood ran cold in his veins. In the sky alongside Iron Man, Mary flew in a zig-zag pattern, trying to confuse the creature while Tony blasted it.

"I told her to get out of here!"

"Well, she didn't listen."

They swung at more aliens.

Steve spoke into his communication unit. "Hey, if anybody sees a woman flying around that looks like the Wicked Witch of the West, don't shoot her, ok? She's on our side."

Thor broke in. "Who would this woman be?"

"She's a friend of mine, so do me a favor and don't blast her out of the sky."

Nat jumped in. "Well, if she's the one who just passed me, I got her back."

"How many flying women do we have on the team?" Steve retorted.

* * *

On the Heli carrier, Fury was monitoring the battle.

"What's going on over there?" He asked the bridge crew to give him a report.

A bewildered officer reported back that there seemed to be extra people in the battle.

Fury tagged his comm. "Stark, just what the hell is going on over there? Who are these people?"

"Just a couple of friends we picked up along the way."

"Just a couple of friends?" Fury was at a loss. He didn't know about Bucky and Mary being enhanced.

"Sir. The council wishes to speak with you."

Fury was mad at being diverted from his task at hand, and was even madder when they told him they wanted him to deploy a nuke.

"That is the island of Manhattan. I will not send a nuke."

The council figured that and authorized it anyway, utilizing their agent on the carrier.

Fury contacted Stark and notified him about incoming.

"I know just where to put it."

On the ground, Steve and Thor watched as Tony intercepted the missile and diverted it up to the hole in the sky, disappearing from view.

He had flown right by Mary, who nearly tumbled off the broom she had stolen from a street level restaurant. Bucky's heart nearly lurched out of his ribcage when he saw her spin.

The nuke exploded, taking down the Chitauri. They waited, but no Stark. Steve had no choice and ordered the portal closed. Nat plunged the scepter into the mechanism that enabled the Tesseract.

They all watched as the beam ceased, and the portal began to close.

Tony fell from the sky just before the portal vanished into nothingness.

"He's not slowing down!" Thor began spinning his hammer.

Mary executed a dive, but Banner got there first and got Tony to the ground safely.

Thor flipped off the face mask, but Tony wasn't breathing. Steve and Bucky thought he was dead.

Mary landed and ran over, but again Banner beat her to the punch. He let out a deafening roar and it jump-started Tony's heart.

"What just happened? Please tell me nobody kissed me!" Spotting Mary, he amended his statement. "She's okay."

"Hey!" Bucky frowned at him. "She's my girl, get your own."

"Let's just not come in tomorrow, alright? Everybody take the day off. There's a schwarma place two blocks down. I don't know what it is, but I'd like to try it."

Thor looked grim. "We're not done yet."

"Ok, and then schwarma after."

* * *

The Avengers convened at the schwarma joint, where Steve introduced Bucky and Mary.

"How do you keep your balance on the broom?" Nat wanted to know.

Mary chuckled. "I have a custom one at home that is much easier, but I had to improvise as I had to leave it home."

"How did you get here?" Steve asked.

"You don't want to know." Mary shook her head, as she remembered the harrowing flight.

"I thought we were going to miss the fight, but Mary got us here on time for some of it."

"I still can't figure out how you did it." Steve looked from Bucky to Mary.

"I flew us, but navigating isn't my strong suit, so Bucky suggested following the Hudson, and then pointed to where we needed to go."

"I told you go get somewhere safe. Why didn't you listen to me?"

"If those things got a foothold on earth, where exactly would safe be? Besides, I couldn't just stand by and not help people get to safety."

"She's crazy on that broom; you'd better watch her." Tony tilted his head.

"Any luck on the blue light project?" Mary asked.

"Oh, you guys weren't there for that part of our operation. Apparently, Loki had the Tesseract and the scepter thing. Both bear a striking resemblance to the generator you have. I'm going to be studying the scepter in depth, so I'll let you know if I find out anything."

"Who is Loki?" Mary asked.

"He is my brother, from Asgard."

"So, you really come from another planet?"

"Yes."

"What relation do you have to earth? Weren't there mythical Norse gods called Loki and Thor?"

"That was us."

"Huh?" Mary was confused.

Steve took over the explanation before anyone else could interject another word and made it as simple as possible.

Bucky shook his head while trying to comprehend all this. Mary seemed genuinely fascinated and struck up a conversation with Thor. Bucky didn't like it and sat there and stewed.

* * *

After the meal, everyone went their separate ways, until Steve was left with Bucky and Mary.

"How are you guys getting home?"

Mary shook her head. "Honestly, Bucky, I'd rather not repeat the flight down here."

"Well, we can't walk."

"Hold on." Steve idly walked around and spoke into his communication unit, and then returned. "Fury is going to send a quin-jet to pick us up. You were going to be coming on board anyway, and he'll arrange for you to be dropped off at home. Sound okay?"

They looked at each other and nodded.

* * *

Bucky endured another vial of blood being drawn. "How many more?"

"Just one more sir." The tech removed one and put on another.

Bucky scowled while Mary and Steve stood in the doorway. They turned around at a familiar voice.

"How is he doing?"

"He's about as impatient as I was after Dr. Erskine was assassinated. The only clues left were in my blood. Peggy stayed with me, uh, Agent Carter, that is."

Fury nodded. "So, I take it that you decided against the apartment we found for you?"

"Mary is having a cottage built adjacent to hers and Bucky's."

"Mmmmm…" Fury chewed this over. It would make it more difficult to keep an eye on him, but he had good agents.

Bucky came over and sighed. "I was told I have to go for my physical now. The last time I had one your grandmother's doctor stabbed me in both sides of my behind with needles! Then he needed a stool sample. I couldn't sit for two days!"

Mary burst out laughing. Between snorts of raucous laughter she apologized repeatedly. Bucky turned uncharacteristically red in the face, as her apology got lost in the unrestrained hilarity. Steve began laughing, and even Fury had to hide his grin.

"Great! I can see I'm not getting any sympathy with this crowd. I might as well get it over with."

* * *

Mary and Steve waited outside of the exam room, while they put Bucky thru a thorough exam. She followed him as they escorted him to the gym, where he tested his abilities against Steve.

Fury was the first person who was told about the results, and he raised an eyebrow at the report. It was confirmed that the serums given to both men were similar in formula, but not exact.

Fury joined them when they met with the doctor to discuss the results.

"Apparently, even if the formula was identical, results would be mixed due to the individual it was introduced into. We have no conclusive evidence, as there was only one subject used in each case. Everything else is in my report."

Steve glanced down momentarily at the one page report in front of him.

The doctor then opened a laptop and cued up a video report.

Mary and Bucky watched in horror, as images of Dr. Banner sped past, documenting his tinkering with the formula and unsuccessfully trying it on himself.

Bucky looked at Steve. "We're not going to turn green, are we Steve?"

Steve shook his head.

"In each of your cases, the formula picked up the slack, if you will, in your own bodies."

"Dr. Erskine told me the night before my procedure that the formula enhances what you already have; good becomes great, bad becomes worse."

"That's really not far from the truth. We don't understand exactly how it knows what to do, just that it does it."

"So, if somebody were to recreate the formula and inject themselves, and they wanted to kill people…" Mary left the sentence hanging.

"Yes, it would fuel the evil within them."

* * *

The quin jet landed safely on Mary's property, dropping off the threesome.

As it rose, the three newest members of SHIELD, watched it depart. Steve clapped Bucky on the back. "It's good to be a team again."

"Yeah, but at least now I don't have to worry so much about you getting beaten up. I have to admit, you were giving it out pretty good back there."

They joined Mary in the living room. She was just standing there, motionless.

They walked past her before Bucky realized something was wrong. When he turned around, Mary was white as a sheet.

"What's wrong, Mary?"

She looked up at him blankly. "Someone's been in the house."


	26. Chapter 26

The Curse of Dr. Zola

Chapter 26

Interlude

She watched them fly away. It was both a disappointment and an opportunity. She crept from the line of trees up to the house. It took her a bit to get the door open, even with all her skills.

Methodically, she looked thru everything, disturbing things as little as possible. She found very little useful things, but she mentally made notes in her head as she was trained to do. People tended to follow patterns. They chose items to reflect their thoughts and personality. She was trained to decipher the little nuances people exhibited by their choices.

These people were going to be a challenge. The décor reminded her of her earlier days of service to her country, when people were much more simple-minded. Too bad her colleague couldn't be here; he would have loved to have a go at the woman. No matter. He was long dead, like many of her colleagues. She had always felt robbed that she had been recalled from her mission before she had had a chance to complete that one; killing Peggy Carter would have been quite a notch on her belt. She smiled, knowing that Peggy could not help her handsome fella anymore, now that dementia had set in. But his friend, he was a mystery she wanted to get to the bottom of, the one that was with her target.

She looked thru the computer, checking for anything useful. She sat up. _This is interesting!_ She looked thru the recent places accessed. _Why is she looking at this stuff?_ She viewed everything and then came across a file marked Captain America.

She did not expect to find what she found. Eyes wide, she quickly made mental notes. _Barnes? Barnes? James Buchanan Barnes?_ She skimmed over the file, and closed the computer down.

She made another pass around the house, and looked for all the places people hid stuff. No safes or hiding spots behind the pictures, no false dresser drawer bottoms, no locked drawers indicating private and confidential files. With a deep breath, she made sure nothing was out of place and that she'd wiped her fingerprints off of everything she'd touched and left.

As she walked down the driveway, she prioritized her list; report to her superiors about Captain America, report that James Buchanan Barnes had at last been found, and then make her request to kill the grand-daughter of Mary Engel. Her failure back in 1974 cost her dearly and she had been severely punished for it. Of course, she wouldn't kill her until she had retrieved the necklace first. She was hoping the grand-daughter would put up a fight. She wanted to prolong her pain for as long as possible.

* * *

"Mary, are you sure?" Bucky held her by her shoulders.

"Yes, I can feel it."

"Get her out of here!" Steve ordered.

Bucky swept Mary off her feet and ran outside with her. Inside, Steve went instantly all Captain America. He searched the house thoroughly, and then went downstairs, to look for any intruders. There were no unauthorized people in the house.

He went outside and gave them the all-clear, but once back inside Mary shuddered. "I can still feel her."

"It was a woman?" Steve asked.

"It feels like one."

"OK, go pack a bag. You and Bucky are going to a motel for a couple of nights. I'm going to stay here and…"

"No." Mary looked up at him, uneasy and frightened, but determined. "We have to find out who she is and what she wants."

"It may not be safe here, Mary."

"This is my home! I will not let anyone chase me from my home. I had enough of that when I was a child." She paused just long enough for a memory to strike her. "Ohmygod! Now I understand."

"What, Mary?" Bucky drew her to sit on the sofa.

"My mother, she knew, she must have known!"

Steve sat on the edge of the coffee table, exchanging glances with Bucky.

"After the accident that killed daddy, mama got uptight and snapped at me all the time until we sold the house. She must have known it wasn't an accident, that's why we moved all the time. Then she re-married fairly quickly, and we got our names changed. My step-dad died less than a year later and we moved again. We moved a lot. She knew someone was after her, and now they are after me. Mama was protecting me." She cupped Bucky's face in her hand. "And she was protecting you."

"I'll protect you Mary. It's my job now."

"This all started with my grandmother. Why?" She thought a moment. "Someone was after her too, maybe?"

Bucky swallowed hard, and looked rather guilty.

Steve knew the look. "What is it Buck?"

"Remember the night Tony got knocked across the room downstairs?"

Steve nodded.

"I woke up not only because I felt the shockwave, but I had had a nightmare."

He recounted the story of being zapped, tied up, and locked in a small metal space. He told them how he felt what seemed to be explosions from off in the distance, and that he was told his life was in danger. "I never told you, Mary, because I didn't want you to worry."

"You didn't want me to worry? Do you know what they will do to you if they catch you? They've been after my family since 1944, catching you will be a bonus, and then…." She couldn't finish; the tears rolled down her cheeks. Bucky pulled her close.

"Stay with her, I'm calling Fury."

* * *

The quin jet arrived a short time later. Bags packed, Mary reluctantly let herself be led onto it. Steve was staying behind just long enough to meet up with the team Fury was sending over, off the books. Once Steve met with them, he'd be on the next jet out. He promised he'd join them soon.

The team arrived quickly and Steve showed them around. He boarded the jet and left the plans in the hands of Fury's people.

On board, there was a woman escort. She held out her hand in introduction. "Agent 13; you can call me Kate."

Steve shook her hand. "Steve Rogers."

"Have a seat Captain, and buckle in."

* * *

Mary and Bucky landed near this cute farmhouse. There was a large porch that seemed very inviting, but Mary wasn't in the mood. She'd spent the entire flight sniffling and sad. Bucky had unbuckled himself against the orders of the agent in charge and held her close to him.

There was a large pond with ducks swimming around; quacking their heads off at the uninvited guests. A very large barn stood off to the side with sun-faded red paint. Some chickens milled around close to the barn, and pecked at some bits on the ground.

They disembarked with the agent, and the jet engines idled.

Mary turned to the agent as Bucky put their bags down. "Where are we?"

"A safe house; my house." Mary turned. Clint Barton walked up to greet them. "I didn't think we'd be seeing each other again so soon. Fury filled me in while you were in flight. We have a room for you and for Steve, once he gets here."

Mary gave him an unhappy expression, but nodded. They followed him inside while the jet departed.

A woman was chasing down a couple of children. Clint made introductions. Mary looked confused.

"Something wrong?" Clint asked her.

"I thought you and Nat…."

Clint smiled. "No we're just friends. I'm very happily married." He smiled at his wife, Laura. "I'll show you to your room."

* * *

Clint gave them a quick tour. "Steve will be right across the hall. I'll let you settle in and give you a call when supper is ready."

Mary was unhappy, and barely unpacked anything.

"Do you need help?" Bucky put his arms around her from behind.

"No, it's fine."

He turned her around, and lifted her chin. "Hey, it's just temporary, until SHIELD can make the improvements needed for our security."

"I know. I just hate being chased out of our home."

"Temporary means we're going back. I won't let anything happen to you." He kissed the top of her head.

Out the window, another jet landed, sending the ducks flapping and quacking all over again.

"Why don't you lay down and I'll go meet Steve."

She nodded, and put her suitcase on the floor.

* * *

Supper was subdued. Mary ate but she really had no appetite; she barely tasted anything. Afterwards, she helped Laura with the dishes while the men chatted out of earshot.

"Fury is putting in a security system, and an escape tunnel underground, well, several; one is going to be the escape tunnel, the others will be decoys. There will be access to it via the secret cellar, and Fury is beefing up security around the door leading downstairs. There will be security around the entire perimeter. No one will be able to approach the house without us knowing." Steve told Clint and Bucky.

"In the meantime, you are welcome to stay at Fort Barton."

"Thanks Clint. We'll try to make the best of it, and not get underfoot."

"Are you kidding? I'm recruiting you guys to help me get some work done around here! I'm way behind and Laura has a long 'honey-do list' for me. I hear you're pretty good with an axe."

Bucky nodded.

"Good. We'll start tomorrow."


	27. Chapter 27

The Curse of Dr. Zola

Chapter 27

Interlude

She tasted blood.

Her lip had split from the blow she had received. The next one sent her sprawling across the floor.

"You were supposed to wait for orders. They've been removed from the premises. We don't know where. Our other contact cannot locate them at this time. Report to room 1."

Fear flashed in her eyes. "I will find them! I can do it. Just let me have the time and I will find them."

"Report to room 1 and then we'll see about assigning the next part of the mission to you."

Her breath quickened, and her heart raced. _Not room 1! Not room 1!_ But her feet carried her along as ordered. If she didn't report there, it would only be worse for her.

As she got off the elevator, she could already hear the agonized screaming down the hall. The lights dimmed and brightened as the circuits were intermittently rerouted to accommodate the power levels.

When she entered room 1, she saw a familiar face, and her stomach turned.

The Asset had been called in from the other department, and was being mind-wiped in the chair of agony. His body shook and struggled against the metal restraints that held him fast in the chair as another wave of electricity surged thru his body and brain and he screamed. The doctors looked on dispassionately, just checking their instrument panels for anything unusual. Nothing unusual ever happened. It was just another day at the office.

Another scream split the air as the wave hit him again; his voice raw from the agony he was experiencing.

She sat and waited for her turn; soon she'd be the one screaming. And then afterwards; she knew what was coming afterwards….if he was here, she knew what was coming.

* * *

She rolled over, and every part of her body hurt. She had lost consciousness for a while, but to the Asset, it didn't matter. He had been given a reward for a job well done and he made sure he took advantage of every minute.

One hour. Only one hour to do with her whatever he pleased. He beat her. He choked her til she nearly passed out. And then he ripped off her clothes and raped her. She endured it, every minute of his incessant thrusting. He was beyond any reason. His only focus was his reward. His reward was her punishment and he raped her.

It hadn't mattered to him that she lost consciousness from the pain. Pain brought order. Order only came from pain. She needed to learn a lesson, and he made sure she learned it whether she was awake for it or not. When she did wake up, she'd know he hadn't spared her any mercy.

She looked around the cell. The Asset had gone, but the pain of him still lingered all over her body, especially between her legs. She would heal, the serum in her blood made sure of that, but it did nothing to stop the pain. Dottie laid her head back down on the cement floor and closed her eyes; her red hair in a spray around her head.

* * *

2 months later….

Enough of the work had been completed that Mary, Bucky and Steve were able to move back in. Workmen would still be around during the day, giving them extra protection, but less privacy.

The first night back Mary had a nightmare about Bucky getting captured and tortured. She couldn't go back to sleep after that, so they spent the rest of the night cuddled up on the sofa. That's where Steve found them at daybreak.

Bucky waved at him to be quiet. Mary had finally just closed her eyes. "I just got her to sleep."

Steve nodded and motioned that he was going to go for a run. He tiptoed past them and snuck out the front door.

When he got back, Bucky had placed Mary in their bed, and she was still sleeping. Bucky was making coffee and breakfast in the kitchen. Steve clasped his shoulder in sympathy.

"She had a rough night." Bucky's voice broke. "She's more worried about me than for herself." Tears moistened his eyes.

"I'm here Buck; you know that."

Bucky nodded.

Together, they worked on breakfast for themselves, and cleaned up.

Workmen showed up all too soon, and woke Mary. She staggered out and sat at the table, but she only had coffee. Bucky tried to get her to eat something, but she refused. He was mad that they woke her, but the work needed to get done. He wanted their lives to go back to normal, but it wasn't clear what normal was anymore.

A SHIELD agent arrived shortly thereafter with a message that they would be rotating on shifts. Upon hearing this, Mary made sure there were clean sheets and blankets for the overnighters to use while sleeping on the sofa.

A week later Agent 13, Kate, arrived. "I've been placed on the evening shifts temporarily and they'll be just one agent covering days going forward. Director Fury had to juggle some staff around, but he thought it better for you if there was some continuity." _And to keep secrets secret._

The work continued on Steve's cottage as well. Mary had hired a local company to build Steve his own place. Everyone who came to work had to pass Mary's scrutiny or face her wrath. Kate seemed to have a calming effect on Mary, and it did them both a world of good to keep each other company.

As September rolled around, Steve booked a flight to California to go see Peggy. Too much had happened for him to feel confident enough to leave before then.

They dropped him off at the airport and wished him well.

Life was beginning to get back to some semblance of normal, for them at least. Tony was back in the news as his house in Malibu was blown up. He was presumed dead at the time.

* * *

Steve took a deep breath and walked into Peggy's room and sat down at her bedside.

Her eyes lit up like the Fourth of July. "Steve! You're alive! You're alive!"

Steve smiled and held her hand. "I couldn't leave my best girl behind, not when she owes me a dance."

The conversation started and stopped, and looped around again. Steve smiled, but his eyes showed the heartbreak he felt. He willed tears not to fall.

The dementia had taken her ability to remember so much, but she remembered him. No matter how many times her memory failed her; she always came back and remembered Steve.

Just before he left, her mind cleared for one brilliant moment, and she told him where to find a journal she'd kept about the war. "Show no one! Not even Colonel Phillips. He'd be mad at me." And then she slipped back into the cloudiness that every dementia patient experiences, where time had no meaning.

He read it on the flight back, and it filled in more blank spaces than he could've imagined. Then he got to the part where Peggy was working with the SSR after the war.

She detailed her misadventures with Jarvis; trying to find out who framed Howard Stark, who stole all the darker inventions he'd made, the last vial of Steve's blood, and the red-haired, Russian LEVIATHAN assassin Peggy fought named Dorothy Underwood, aka Dolores, aka Dottie, and how she disappeared after their fight in 1947. Steve's stomach turned as he fingered the old photograph. It was the woman Bucky had met in Rockaway Beach, and dated all summer. She had the reddest hair of any girl they'd ever met up until the time they met Natasha.

Steve's lower lip trembled and his body shook with anger. How much had she known? Was she sent to kill Bucky? Or worse; was she sent to recruit him? Did she have anything to do with Bucky's capture?

The last question was killing him. Was she still alive somehow?

They were questions Steve had to have the answers to.


	28. Chapter 28

The Curse of Dr. Zola

Chapter 28

After Steve got settled back in from the flight, he spoke to Bucky alone.

Bucky paled at seeing the old photograph. He remembered her, and his stomach churned with acid. He remembered the day he'd met her, and the summer they'd dated. He remembered a lot about those dates, and the frantic gropings at the rear of the cinema. She hadn't gone all the way, but they came close once before they'd gotten caught. It made him feel sick to his stomach now.

He closed his eyes, as he began remembering in detail the capture of his unit, and subsequent mistreatment in the factory. Memories he'd buried about how they beat him, and tortured him surfaced painfully.

He was glad he'd been sitting during this because he felt his knees go weak. He was afraid they would fail him. He remembered the sleep deprivation. He remembered the hunger as they denied him food and water for days. He remembered the desperation he'd felt as they spun him around and he remembered how he'd begged them to stop.

Mary had gone to the market with Kate and Bucky was glad of it. He had time to compose himself before the women returned. He didn't want Mary to see him like this. It was bad enough that Steve saw; he was mortified over it. He wondered if Mary was seeing his past in her dreams. _God, I hope not!_

The terror when he'd been whisked away, the helplessness, he didn't want her to see that.

He suggested they go out back and run the obstacle course, and Steve knew he needed this, so he agreed. Bucky pushed Steve to an all-time record. The completed the course with the fastest time ever. Bucky insisted they run it again.

All total, they ran the course 6 times before Bucky felt in control of himself enough to face Mary. Of course, he saw Mary's truck in the yard as they approached the house. He knew they'd be back, but he still kind of hoped they wouldn't have been just yet.

Suddenly, Bucky panicked. "Where did you leave the journal?" He bolted before Steve had a chance to answer.

As he swung open the front door, the women turned around. Bucky's face fell when he saw the book in Mary's hands.

He rushed in and tried to take it from her. She turned away. He made another grab for it, as Steve swooped in behind him.

"Bucky! Bucky stop!"

Bucky pushed Steve away and grabbed Mary's arms with enough force to make her cry out. The book fell from her hands.

Kate stepped back and pulled her gun. "Let her go!"

Bucky let go and his face crumpled into pain. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Mary. Please forgive me."

Mary had a look of fear on her face and it stabbed Bucky in his heart. He fell to his knees in front of her. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry."

Mary began to cry, and she stepped towards Bucky. She wrapped her arms around his head and pulled him to her. He wrapped his arms around her legs and held her tight.

Steve waved Kate off, and she put her gun away.

"I think we all need to have a conversation here."

* * *

"I didn't realize how much I had repressed." Bucky admitted later that evening.

"It's called PTSD, and it's not uncommon with war veterans. Back in the days of WWII, I think they called it 'battle fatigue', if I'm remembering correctly." Kate informed him.

"Don't feel bad, Buck, Peggy's journal brought back a lot of memories for me too."

"What we need to do now is figure out how to go forward." Mary reached out to take his hand in hers.

"I do remember being in several battle situations. The Army was training me to be a sniper. I was pretty good too, too good." He sniffed at another memory, and shook his head to clear it away.

"I think we should find you both a good counselor. We have several at SHIELD you can talk to."

Bucky nodded, but he wasn't sure he was ready. Maybe by the time he picked one, he'd be ready then.

"Who is this woman?" Mary asked. "Could she have been the one, no, she couldn't have been the one asking about gram's obit." She looked at Steve. "Could she? Was she trying to kill my mother?"

"If HYDRA had the serum back then, I suppose anything is possible."

"If I was given the serum, was…." Bucky couldn't finish the sentence.

"Are you implying my grandmother was a HYDRA agent?" Mary voice rose in pitch. "Didn't you read the composition book with me? Didn't it say she had saved you? Didn't she tell you that she needed you to protect her daughter? My mother?"

"You're right. But why force the serum into my body? Do you know how much pain that caused me?'

Mary started crying. This was tearing her apart.

"Can I tell you my theory here?" Kate offered.

Steve nodded. "Let's hear it."

"You said that her grandmother saved you. If you were to survive being frozen in the capsule, you'd need to be enhanced like Steve. I think Mary's mother was supposed to revive you, but for some reason, she didn't. There has to be a link we're missing here. Are you sure this is the only book? Maybe there's more?"

"I don't know, there might be."

"OK, say there is and we just haven't found it yet, so going with that, what if Bucky is or was supposed to be trained by your mother to fight HYDRA?"

"Her grandmother **was** training me, and she said she needed to keep me hidden long enough to train her daughter."

"Ok, so something happened and plans didn't work out, so your mother kept Bucky hidden."

"But why didn't she tell me?"

"Maybe you weren't ready?"

Steve hated to bring it up but he did. "Didn't you tell us that there was a rift between you?"

"Yes, but it, she claimed it was her fault in the letter she wrote me."

"The letter you found after she had died?"

"Yes."

"Can we see it?"

Mary nodded and went to her bedroom to retrieve it. Since she kept it with the copy of her will, she brought that out too. She handed them both to Steve. "My mother hand wrote this and her will. She always had some sort of hidden agenda when she wrote things. Even her lawyer admitted that."

Steve and Kate spread out the papers and looked them over.

"In the CIA, one of the things we studied was code breaking, and I was really good at that; family tradition."

After studying it, Kate pointed out incongruities with the rest of the wording in Mary's letter and the will.

"Does this mean anything to you? Now think hard."

"Well, here in the letter it mentions the secret door. I found it by accident."

"Did you?"

"I….I thought so, but now I'm not so sure. When I looked in the dresser I found men's clothes, but at the time I didn't know that they were for Bucky. The closet was empty and I wondered why. I saw the bar to hang the clothes on was crooked and when I went to straighten it….Oh my goodness, it was the clue! She was trying to tell me to look for the bar. The bar opened the secret door!"

"Ok, we have a start. Let's continue."

"What about this?" Mary pointed out. "She says I picked out each piece with love especially for you. I never had a fetish for the furniture of the 40's, so why did she…." Mary trailed off.

"Maybe those words weren't meant for you." Kate suggested.

Mary started crying again. "She meant those words for you Bucky. Maybe she loved you more than she did me."

"Don't be ridiculous! She loved you enough to keep you out of my mess until she couldn't put it off any longer."

'OK, so why wouldn't my mother give me the directions on how to find you? Why did she make it a game?"

"In the CIA, if you wanted to leave a message you'd put it in code, so it wouldn't make sense to anyone but the person you were leaving it for."

"Are you telling me my mother and grandmother were both CIA agents?"

"It does kind of make sense."

"There wasn't any agency called the CIA in the 1940's." Steve pointed out.

"But there was the OSS, and that started around 1942." Kate counter-pointed. "Office of Strategic Services would have been the intelligence agency for the war department."

"I'm seeing a pattern here." Bucky added. "Office of Strategic Services, Strategic Scientific Reserve, SHIELD, Strategic something or other."

"My grandmother was a spy. How do you like that?"

"And she went to school in Brooklyn. Brooklyn had a hidden SSR facility there. I know, because I was there. It's where I was injected with the serum by Dr. Erskine."

"It's a small world after all." Kate threw in.

"It seems every time we answer a question, we find out we have another question."

The next question was the one no one wanted to ask. How many more questions would they find?


	29. Chapter 29

The Curse of Dr. Zola

Chapter 29

Interlude-1958

"How could you be so stupid?" Mary Engel shouted at her daughter.

Willa's face was streaked with tears; her eyes were red from crying for days. "I wanted to tell you before now, but I didn't know how. I knew you'd be so mad at me."

"You're damn right I'm mad. What were you thinking?"

"I'm sorry mama. I'm so sorry."

"What's his name? Have you told him yet?"

Willa shook her head.

"Do you even know his name?"

"His name is…" She never got to finish. Willa cried out in pain as her mother slapped her hard across the face.

"It doesn't matter! I have to send you away now. I have to find a place that will take you. You are not to see him, talk to his friends or tell anyone about this! Do you understand?"

"Yes, mama."

"Go to your room and stay there!"

Willa ran to her bedroom and cried.

 _3 months! She's 3 months pregnant! I don't have much time._

* * *

"Push!" The midwife urged, and Willa screamed as the pain from the contraction increased.

Her forehead was dotted with sweat. Her whole body was, and her clothes were soaked.

Panting from the exertion, Willa relaxed as the contraction eased.

She had been in labor for hours and she was exhausted, but still the baby wouldn't come.

Another contraction and another scream. "PUSH!"

Willa pushed with what strength she had left.

"I see the head! We're almost there Willa!"

Willa started sobbing anew.

The next contraction got the baby a little further. A few more and the baby was finally born; a son!

He was big! Over 10 pounds, and Willa's pelvic frame was barely wide enough for the baby to fit thru.

The midwife hung him upside down and gave him a good whack on his behind. He started crying immediately, a good strong cry.

"My son!" Willa cried.

The midwife wrapped the newborn in a blanket and handed him to his mother. "What are you going to name him?"

"I don't know yet."

"Well, you have two days to decide, that's when we'll be making up his birth certificate."

"Will someone go see if my mother has arrived yet?"

A nurse left and came back with Mary. "I would have been here sooner, but I only just got the message."

Willa went to show her mama the baby, but a scream stopped her.

"What's wrong? What's wrong?" Mary was ushered out along with the baby in a nurse's arms.

Willa started screaming again, and hemorrhaging profusely.

* * *

By the time it was all over, Willa had lost a lot of blood, and an emergency doctor had to be called in for surgery.

Hours went by before Mary knew what happened.

The doctor came out to speak with her at last.

"You are her mother?"

"Yes. What happened?"

"The child was too big for her body, and it damaged something inside. I've performed surgery but your daughter will never be able to have another child. I'm sorry."

Mary nodded. "May I see my grandson?"

"I'll have a nurse escort you."

Interlude-1965

It was a gorgeous summer day in 1965.

Mary was retired, and Willa was raising her son, James Buchanan Engel.

They had moved away and started over after Willa's son was born, to a place no one knew them.

He was a spirited little boy of seven, running around and doing all the things little boys did; learning to climb trees, getting scraped up knees, and being boisterous.

Mother and Grandmother were watching him play in the backyard. It was a perfect day.

They were planning on going to the beach come the weekend. But for now the women just chatted about life and how happy a boy little James was.

"I still can't believe you named him after 'Uncle James'."

"I literally grew up with Uncle James sleeping in the basement."

"Do you remember us crossing the border from Canada back into the US?"

"Some."

"You couldn't wait to show Uncle James the doll I bought you."

"Oh yeah. It was my reward. I remember spending hours telling Uncle James about my new doll."

"How I hated to ask you to do it."

"At least, when I got older, the headaches went away."

"You were too young to be doing what I had asked of you, but we had to get home. I couldn't trust anyone."

"Was Uncle James part of the plan?"

"No. He wasn't part of the plan. That was entirely the problem. I took it upon myself to rescue James Barnes. No one could know I had him, not even my own agency. I had to smuggle him and us, across many borders to get home. The hardest part of the trip was the ocean crossing. You got seasick and spent most of the trip throwing up. I was so scared we'd be found out that I barely ate. But we made it to Canada."

"How did you know mama? How did you know?"

"When I had infiltrated the Nazi's, Johann Schmidt had acquired a cube called the Tesseract. One of his soldiers had picked up the necklace with the orange stone in it. Fool! He didn't know what he had, and he traded it for a whore and some lager. I acquired it."

"But what is it?"

"It is called the Soul-stone. It originated in the Norse regions, centuries ago. It is an amplifier. I have the gift of seeing into the future. The stone recognized the gift in my soul, and amplified it, that's when my dreams began. I saw what HYDRA was trying to do. I saw many of Zola's experiments fail. I also saw his imminent success with James. The more I wore the stone, the more I saw his pain. They ripped him apart, stole him away from his body, and turned him into an abomination. I felt James's soul even before I met him. Our connection was that strong. The stone will only respond to certain souls or combination of certain souls. If your soul is pure enough, the stone will guide you."

"How do you know all this?"

"It showed me. We have very old roots from the Old Norse days. It has been diluted over the years, but our blood is still Norse."

"I didn't know that."

"It will serve you well in the future, but always remember that everything you do has a consequence."

"I think I've discovered that already." She looked over at her son and called him for lunch. But he didn't answer her. "James!"

He had been at the very end of the backyard for a while and he was still there. "James, it's time for lunch."

When he still didn't respond, she got up and went to see what he was up to.

Mary started running when she heard her daughter scream.

The little boy was dead, his neck had been broken.

Walking away thru the woods that bordered the property, The Curse just ignored the sounds of the two women wailing. His current mission was completed, and he had to go report in.

Interlude-1969

It the morning of Christmas Eve, and the house was decorated with evergreens. JT had put up the lights, the tree was trimmed and it should have been a joyous time.

But not for Willa Bailey.

She knelt in front of the toilet vomiting up breakfast yet again. She was miserable and sick. Something had been going around and she finally came down with it. She crawled to her feet, and sat down on the edge of the tub. She'd been sick for days. She wiped at her mouth and wished the vile taste would go away.

Her poor husband, JT, scrambled all over town to finish up shopping. Willa couldn't get out of the house, and his mother-in-law was joining them for Christmas Day celebrations.

It had been impossible to cancel the plans. Mary had insisted she come, if only to give JT a chance to relax while she took care of her daughter.

JT picked her up from the airport on Christmas morning and drove her to their modest home. He carried her bags and followed her inside.

They found Willa once again crouched in front of the toilet.

"How long has this been going on?" Mary asked her son-in-law.

"A couple of weeks now, why?" JT answered.

Mary went to her daughter's side, and the orange stone from her necklace began to glow.

"Mama? Look."

Mary looked down and her hand went to cover her mouth. "It's a miracle!" Tears filled her eyes.

"What is, mama?"

"You're pregnant Willa! You're pregnant!"

"What? How? We were told it couldn't happen."

"I don't know how Willa, but it has. You're going to be a mama. It's a gift from Heaven."

* * *

Willa gave birth to a small 6 pound baby girl in August. She was healthy despite her small size.

The doctors were anxious during the birth because of Willa's previous pregnancy and subsequent health condition, but Willa made it thru.

Mary, and Willa's husband, JT, sat close by as Willa rocked her baby girl in her arms and hummed to her.

"She's a beautiful baby, Willa. She has our Norse heritage."

"Well, with that blonde hair she sure doesn't have mine." JT, who had brown hair and brown eyes, admitted.

"I think she has blue eyes." Willa tried peeking into the tiny orbs.

"A lot of babies have blue eyes, until their true colors come out."

"I hope they stay blue." Willa smiled.

"What did you decide to name her?" Grandma Mary asked.

Willa looked into the face of her husband of 4 years, and smiled.

"We named her Mary." JT told her. "After you."


	30. Chapter 30

The Curse of Dr. Zola

Chapter 30

Spring 2014 brought them some good news.

Bucky had been presented with all the "official" documents he needed. They got him a driver's license, a passport, and a social security number. The name printed on them was his cover name, but to Mary, he'd always be Bucky.

SHIELD had arranged for a safe-house, for just in case, and all the security protocols were finished.

Mary and Bucky picked a wedding day, Steve's birthday, and of course, Steve was tapped to be Best Man.

Steve's cottage was finally completed and he moved it, but not before Mary insisted on a champagne toast. Then Bucky took the bottle from Mary and sprayed Steve with it. The two of them raced around the yard, laughing; Steve trying not to get soaked and Bucky trying to spray him some more. Mary laughed and shook her head at these two grown men acting like little boys. She often wondered what they were like as kids, running around the streets of Brooklyn, in those carefree, innocent days.

Steve's phone beeped and he stopped abruptly. Bucky didn't stop in time and ran into Steve. They both tumbled to the ground, the champagne bottle went flying.

Instinctively, Mary reached out with her gift and pulled the bottle to safety. She walked over as the boys extricated their limbs from one another.

"What is it?" Mary asked. Then Bucky's phone went off. "Uh oh." She knew that meant a mission. She pulled out her phone, and waited.

Steve and Bucky stood up. "It looks like this one is just us this time Mary."

"I'm sure they will find something for me to do."

"They will. We gotta get our gear. They're on the way to pick us up. Are you going to be okay with us gone?" Bucky was concerned.

"Yes. The new security works well, even if there aren't any more agents assigned. Hurry up, or they'll get mad at you."

The boys grabbed their gear and waited for the quin jet to arrive. It wasn't long.

As the tail door closed, Mary threw Bucky kisses. He waved back.

She squinted against the rush of engine power and the jet rose and she watched until it vanished.

* * *

The shots came out of nowhere.

Steve and Bucky had been in conversation with Director Fury about the mission they'd been sent on.

They had rescued hostages from a ship named the Lemurian Star and had received an urgent message from him to meet. They hadn't been prepared to see Fury in a bloodied and battered state. He'd called them to a safe-house, and now Nick Fury was bleeding profusely from several bullet wounds.

"Call 911, I'm in pursuit!"

Bucky called for help while Steve chased down the shooter.

Steve crashed thru the window, used his shield to absorb impact from his landing, and flung it at the shooter.

He caught it like it was nothing, and flung it back.

Steve hadn't been prepared for the power of his catch and it sent him flailing backwards. By the time he looked up, the shooter was gone.

He eventually caught up with Bucky at the hospital, but it was too late, Fury had already passed.

They exchanged grim expressions as a SHIELD agent came to take them to HQ. They were to meet Alexander Pierce, one of the members of the World Security Council.

They were brought up to the top floor by the agent. Kate was just emerging from Pierce's office as they approached. Steve smiled at her, and she blushed.

"Right thru there gentlemen." The agent gestured politely and left them to their meeting.

Pierce extended his hand. "Captain Rogers."

"Sir, it's an honor."

Pierce turned to Bucky, and extended his hand to him. "So, you're James Buchanan Barnes. I've heard a lot about you."

Pierce did most of the question asking, and he didn't seem too happy with the answers given.

"Someone killed my friend; I intend to find out who, and I won't let anybody get in the way…anybody."

Steve gave him a curt nod as they left. "Understood."

As soon as they had left the building, Bucky told Steve he needed to go to the hospital. Steve became alarmed but Bucky re-assured his friend it wasn't like that. "You'll see."

Bucky went to the vending machine to retrieve the flash drive Fury had handed to him just before Fury passed out, but it was gone. He turned at seeing Natasha's reflection in the glass.

"Looking for something boys?"

Steve pushed her into a nearby room while Bucky covered their sudden disappearance.

"Where is it?" Bucky asked her.

"You mean this?" She held up the flash drive.

Bucky snatched it from her hand. "Quit fooling around."

"What's on there?"

"That's what we're trying to find out."

"Where did you get that, Bucky?"

"None of your business."

"Fury." Her face lit up with enlightenment. "Fury gave that to you. I can help you discover what's on it."

Steve and Bucky exchanged glances. Neither one of them had enough knowledge when it came to computers, and they were out of options.

"I also think I know who killed Fury."

"Keep talking."

"Most of the intelligence agencies don't believe he exists. They call him 'The Curse'. He's been credited with over 2 dozen assassinations that we know of, over the last 50 years. I've tried to find him; he's a ghost story."

"Let's go find out what the ghost wants then."

* * *

They found an internet café at the mall where Nat was able to plug in the drive. "Uh oh."

"Uh oh, what's uh oh?" Steve demanded.

"It has a tracker. We only have a few minutes."

Nat managed to find out some stuff before she had to pull the plug, and then they left. They slipped past one set of agents, but after they got on the escalator down, they were trapped.

"Kiss me!" Nat demanded. "Public displays of affection make people uncomfortable."

"Yes, they do." Bucky agreed.

"I'm not kissing you." Steve said flatly.

So, Bucky grabbed him and planted one on him, much to Nat's delight.

As they were getting off the escalator, she smirked at Steve. "Still feel uncomfortable?"

"That's not the word I would use."


	31. Chapter 31

The Curse of Dr. Zola

Chapter 31

Alexander Pierce strode thru his darkened home. He knew the entire layout by heart. He went into the kitchen for a glass of milk. He paused for only a second when he saw the man he had called up to take care of a little problem sitting in the shadows.

"Want some milk?" He took a glass down and filled it partway.

He stood there and looked at his Asset. "We have a problem, several problems. 3 more targets, level 6. Natasha Romanoff needs to be eliminated. She's working with Captain Steve Rogers. He's asking too many questions, and needs to be eliminated. The last one I need alive; alive and undamaged. James Buchanan Barnes. You are to do whatever you need to capture him, but he needs to be alive. Do you understand?"

In the shadows, the Asset nodded.

Pierce slid over a file that he removed from the backup safe in his house. "Read it. No mistakes."

The man slipped out the door with the file like the ghost he was.

* * *

Bucky was driving, Steve was in the front passenger seat and Nat was in the back. They were formulating a plan when they got rear ended. The car swerved all over the road as Bucky tried to keep the vehicle under some kind of control.

The next thing they heard was someone jumping onto the roof of the car. Nat all but landed in Steve's lap when bullets came thru the roof. A gloved fist crashed thru the windshield and ripped out the steering wheel. Without a way to control the car, and traffic all around them, they had to react quickly to avoid collateral casualties.

Steve grabbed the emergency brake hard and the tires squealed in protest as the car came to a stop. The figure on the roof got thrown off. He rolled gracefully and came to a standing position in front of them.

Nat drew her pistol but lost it when they got rear ended again. They careened towards the Curse.

In one fluid motion, he jumped into the air and landed back on the roof. He reached in and tried to grab Bucky, but he couldn't quite get hold of him.

"Hold on!" Steve adjusted the shield onto his arm and bashed open the car door. The three of them spilled out and hit the ground, the shield absorbing most of the impact. The car went flying out of control.

Nat landed on Steve and Bucky tumbled on the pavement. Car parts went flying every which way, barely missing them.

A large assault vehicle stopped and soldiers poured out from it. The Asset was tossed a rifle and took aim at Steve.

Steve pushed Nat out of the way and took the brunt of the explosion, which sent him flying off the overpass and onto the roadway below.

Speaking in Russian, the Asset gave instructions to the men with him. They went to try and catch Barnes before he recovered. But they underestimated him and he got to his feet quicker than they thought. Unfortunately, he didn't have any weapons on him, so he used what was available and hurled loose car parts at the men.

It kept their heads down, but they still took turns shooting at him. Without his Kevlar vest, he was vulnerable to bullets.

The Asset went after Steve, but Nat fired a shot at him, and he re-aimed at her.

She jumped off the overpass, ejecting a dropline to ease her descent, but got hit by a bullet on her way down.

Behind them, Bucky wasn't having much luck either, and decided to join his friends on the street level below and jumped down to land on the roof of a car. He ducked under the overpass as bullets rained down.

The Asset changed weapons and jumped off, landing on the same car Bucky did. He aimed his rifle at Bucky, but fired into the pavement. Bucky ran to dodge the bullets but ran straight into the HYDRA soldiers waiting for when he turned. Bucky got into a fistfight with several of the soldiers. He was stronger than they were, but there were more of them.

Steve and Nat were having their own problems as the Curse hunted them down. He took out Nat first, and then stalked Steve with the coldness of a stone.

Nat was unconscious, and Steve used his shield to protect her from stray bullets. When they ran out, the Curse resorted to knives and had to hand combat.

 _God, he's strong!_ Steve blocked another strike, but the Asset just switched hands effortlessly. He was equally adept and lethal, as he used both to keep Steve off balance. _Fast too!_ Every time Steve kicked him down, he got right back up as if he didn't feel any pain at all!

He flipped Steve over like a rag doll, and Steve did everything he could do to defend himself. _He's an enhanced!_ It finally hit Steve that this man had been injected with some type of serum like himself and Bucky.

Steve narrowly avoided another attempt at being stabbed, and the knife plunged into the side of a nearby van instead. Steve and the Curse moved sideways and the knife left a long deep rent in the van. Steve took his shield and punched the Curse in the chest with it, driving him back. He came at Steve again, but this time Steve was ready. He flipped the man over and sent him flying.

When he stood up, the mask the Curse had been wearing had fallen off, and he turned to glare at Steve. Suddenly, Steve stood upright. He recognized the man that stood there. It was the young man Colonel Phillips had posted to the Howling Commandos to take out HYDRA bases. "Shawn?"

"Who the hell is Shawn?"

Just then another 6 SUV's of HYDRA agents pulled up and captured Captain Rogers. An interested news helicopter kept them from executing Rogers on the spot, so they restrained him and put them into one of the SUV's.

They shoved Bucky in as well. He had a leg wound that was bleeding pretty badly, and Nat's shoulder wound was dripping blood.

"He looked right at me and didn't even know me. He was part of the Commandos unit that took down HYDRA bases."

"But he's a HYDRA agent, isn't he?" Nat asked. "Why would he do that?"

"I don't know, but I'm going to find out." He turned to the two guards. "Can we get some pressure on their wounds? We have to stop the bleeding."

One guard threatened them with an electronic baton. Steve shut his mouth for fear of them hurting Nat or Bucky further, but the guard stabbed the other guard with it and knocked them out.

Steve was surprised to see Maria Hill under the helmet. "That thing was squeezing my brain. You guys ready to get out of here?"

* * *

They pulled up in front of what appeared on the outside to be a dam. Maria helped Nat and Steve helped Bucky stumble inside. Maria turned a decorative wall sconce and the walls parted to reveal a hidden tunnel.

They dead-ended at a hospital room. On a hospital bed laid Nick Fury.

As the doctor saw to their wounds, Fury filled them in on what had happened.

"I called Maria in because she was the only one I could trust at that point. She's been systematically clearing others. That's why you're all here."

"I knew that guy." Steve said and gave a report to Fury about him.

"He was helping me as we took down HYDRA bases."

"Ow!" Bucky flinched as the doctor stitched him up. "Why was he helping you blow up HYDRA bases if he was HYDRA? That just doesn't make sense Steve."

"Could there have been something else he was looking for?" Nat offered.

Steve turned to Bucky. "Maybe he was looking for you?"

Bucky looked pale. "I don't know. I don't even know where I was being kept, how could he?"

"In any case, we have to stop them. I have a plan." Fury turned a laptop around. "These are what I think they are after." The screen showed the three newest Heli carriers.

"We can't override the programs from here, but if you insert these into the servers on the carriers themselves, we can regain control. These circuit boards have to be on all three, if even one gets away, a lot of people could die." Maria finished. "And we have some help for you."

A black man came into the room. "This is Sam Wilson. I've personally vetted him myself." Maria announced and made introductions.

"You up for this?" Steve asked.

"Dude, Captain America needs my help."

Steve nodded ok.

* * *

Alarms blared a warning. The base was coming alive with staff scurrying all over, some panicking as the base was attacked.

Sam, Steve, Nat, Maria, and Bucky were attacking different sections at the same time.

Once they got in, Nat and Maria were heading for ops to activate the program carried by the three men.

Each one was targeting a different (and upgraded) Heli carrier.

Sam dropped off Steve on one, Bucky on another, and then he flew around to gain access to the server room on his target.

Since no one had actual HYDRA markings on their clothes, Wilson questioned Steve on who he was supposed to be attacking.

Steve ran and rolled as gunfire headed his way. "If they're shooting at you, they're bad."

Bucky was wondering that himself; just before he'd had to duck some gunfire.

Sam dove and swooped so effortlessly that you could forget the fact he could kill you any moment.

"We're in." Maria confirmed over the headset. "I'm on my way upstairs." Nat informed them.

Steve didn't have a chance to even reply. His shield was fending off bullets as he advanced.

Bucky was tossing grenades and from the air, Wilson could track his movements from the clouds of dust.

Sam folded his wings and dropped like a rock to avoid an armed quin jet trailing him, and then powered back up to fly close to the hull of the carrier. The rounds pierced the plexi-glass bubble that protected the underside of the hull. It was just the opportunity he needed.

He swooped in and folded up his wings. He landed and pulled up the circuits he needed. He plucked out the HYDRA one and inserted the SHIELD one. "Alpha lock."

Sam extended the wings and went to help the others, but the Curse had other plans.

As Steve neared the doorway to the interior, the Curse kicked at him, and knocked Steve off balance. Before he could brace himself, the Curse kicked again and Steve Rogers went over the side of the carrier. "I need a little help here!"

"You tell me when." Sam shot back.

"Now!"

Sam dove and grabbed him by one arm.

As he deposited Steve on the deck, he remarked that Steve was a lot heavier than he looked.

"Yeah, well, I had a big breakfast."

They still encountered some resistance trying to get to the control panel. The Curse was waiting for Steve.

"Shawn, this doesn't have to end like this. You were a big help to me trying to find Bucky and taking down HYDRA bases. Why are you doing this?"

"HYDRA wants order. Order only comes from pain. Your friend will feel the pain as soon as he puts that chip in place."

"Sam, go help Bucky!"

Steve engaged Shawn as Sam flew out as fast as possible, but was he going to be in time?

* * *

"Bravo lock!" Bucky shouted. The whine of gunfire seemed to come from everywhere. One had whistled past his ear as he pushed the chip home.

He turned around and sank to the floor. He looked down. The leg wound he had received earlier was bleeding heavily, but that's not what worried him. He looked at the dart sticking out of his thigh. He plucked it and tossed it aside. His enhancement was the only thing keeping him upright at the moment.

HYDRA soldiers were moving in on his position, and he was on one knee. "Steve!"

"I got your back!" Sam swooped in and fired handguns from both hands at the advancing men. They scrambled back in a hurry.

Shawn and Steve battled fiercely; the upper hand going from one side to the other. "Why are you after Bucky?"

"Bucky was an old target! HYDRA wants the girl." Shawn used Steve's shield to push Steve into a backwards somersault and grabbed the chip that Steve had dropped. Steve jumped on him and put his arm into a lock. He shook the arm trying to force Shawn to let go

"Why do they want Mary?"

"They need the necklace. She holds the key to activating it."

Steve flipped Shawn over and put him in a headlock. He slowly cut off his air until Shawn passed out. Steve picked up the chip and climbed back up the tower.

As Steve pushed it into place, the Curse woke up and left to go secure Barnes. "Charlie lock!"

"Get out of there, Steve!" Maria cried.

"Fire now, I'll get out."

Maria activated the program. The three Heli carriers began shooting at one another.

Steve dodged and swerved as hell rained down around him.

* * *

The Curse had gotten to his quin jet, and started the engines. He took off for the carrier where Barnes and Wilson were, and landed shortly after. He strode into the fire and death knells of the carrier. He didn't care. Barnes had to be retrieved, alive. There would be another day to find Romanoff. He doubted Rogers would make it out alive, and even if he did…well, that was another day too.

Bucky was on the catwalk above the plexi-glass bubble. Enemy fire had disabled the wings, and it grounded Sam. Carrier fire from the other one hit some support beams and down went the catwalk.

Bucky slammed into the flooring and debris fell on top of him as the catwalk hit the bottom supports.

Sam heard Bucky scream even over the battle, but he couldn't see him.

The Curse finally arrived. He looked down at Bucky. An I-beam had fallen on his left arm, and what was left was bleeding profusely. Bucky was pinned down by more beams. "Sam." Bucky whispered. His wind cut off by the debris that lay on his chest.

The Curse reached around to his back and pulled a small dart gun out. He shot Bucky with several darts, and then threw it away. He picked up the debris and pulled Barnes out from under. He tossed Bucky over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and went back to his jet.

Sam followed as the HYDRA agents retreated, but was unable to stop the Curse from leaving with Bucky.

"Steve! Steve! They've got your friend. I can't stop them."

"Bucky. BUCKY!" Steve screamed his name as the jet rose from the carrier deck.


	32. Chapter 32

The Curse of Dr. Zola

Chapter 32

Bucky opened his eyes. The overhead lights were too bright and he closed them again. His head hurt and pounded. A sharp pain came from his left arm and pierced his brain. He moaned softly. He heard a shuffling noise off to the side, and opened his eyes again, squinting against the bright light.

"Hello Sgt. Barnes."

Bucky's heart froze in his chest. Where had he heard those words before? _Oh God! Oh God! Where am I?_

"We've been looking for you for a very long time."

Bucky forced his eyes to focus. No, it wasn't Dr. Zola.

It was worse.

"You've been injured, an unfortunate occurrence, but the doctors will fix you up. Welcome back to HYDRA."

Doctors began moving towards him. Bucky tried to move but was unable. It was now that he began to take in his situation. Magnetic cuffs held down his right arm and legs to a metal table. He pulled at them helplessly. He was horrified to discover his lower left arm was gone!

"Oh, we've made some improvements in the restraints, thanks to testing by our friend here."

Bucky could just make out the figure standing beside Alexander Pierce. A young man with eyes as cold as stone; his face hardened by war, aged beyond his years, warped by HYDRA.

"We've stopped the bleeding, but I'm afraid you've lost some tissue; it'll have to be removed." The closest doctor informed him.

Bucky's heart nearly stopped when he heard a saw buzzing. The doctor picked it up. "This will hurt, but order only comes from pain."

Bucky screamed as the saw bit into his arm and the dead stump was cut off. He blacked out quickly, overcome by the level of pain inflicted on him without any anesthesia.

Sam looked at the same magazine for the 100th time. He was in a shared hospital room with Steve. He looked over to see Steve finally waking up.

After Bucky was abducted by HYDRA, Steve tumbled into the Potomac when the Heli carrier finally collapsed out of the sky.

Sam had had a parachute, so he was able to get to the ground safely and get them medical help.

Steve looked over and then the memories started floating back into his brain. He sat up when his brain reminded him about Bucky. He flung back the covers, and started getting up.

"Whoa, where are you going?" Sam cried.

"After Bucky. I will not lose him again!"

"Look man, we gotta make a plan."

"Oh God, I've got to tell Mary!"

"Who's Mary?"

"Bucky's fiancée'."

"He's…he's got a fiancée?"

"Yes, and I have to be the one to tell her."

Steve stopped about 15 from Mary's house to call her and let her know he was on his way. His voice sounded strained, and he wouldn't tell her anything.

Mary saw the dust getting kicked up in the driveway and ran towards them. Steve stopped the car and got out, his arms wide. She ran to him and gave him a hug. Then she looked into the car. "Where's Bucky?"

"Um, Mary, this is Sam."

"Hi Sam. Where's Bucky?"

"Um, well,…"

"WHERE'S BUCKY?"

"They took him."

"They took him? Who are they?"

"HYDRA was waiting…." He never finished. Mary collapsed onto the ground. "No, no, no, no, no, no, NOOOOOOOO!"

He wound up carrying her inside.

It took some time before Steve was able to calm her down enough to talk to her. Sam put his bag in the second bedroom.

"We…we gotta go after him, Steve." She said weakly.

"I know, we will. Sam and I came here to work on a plan."

"Good. I want him back Steve, I want him back so bad."

"I know, so do I, that's why Sam and I are going after HYDRA."

"What? Not without me you're not!"

"Mary, there's something I have to tell you."

"What? There's more?"

"I met the man who became known as The Curse. I think he took Bucky's place when your grandmother rescued Bucky, and he told me that HYDRA was sent to kill your mother when you were a child."

Her eyes went wide even as he continued. "They want you Mary, they want your grandmother's necklace."

Fresh tears came spilling out in silence. She grabbed Steve and the sobs started again in earnest. Steve let her hold him for as long as she wanted.

Finally, she calmed down and let go. But the woman who let go wasn't the one who had just held him. Her eyes showed a determination he'd never seen there before. "When do we start?"

Pain!

Lots of pain shot thru Bucky's body.

As he woke, the shock left his system, and when the adrenalin lessened, the pain level shot up.

Bucky looked around. It was night; at least he thought it was. The lights were much dimmer and he saw that he was not in the same room. He realized now that the room he woke up in before was an operating room. Now, he was in a recovery room.

He went to move, but again, was unable. The metal restraints held him fast. He looked over at his left side. His arm was wrapped with gauze from fingertip to shoulder. He discovered that he was naked again as well. His head clunked as he put it back down. _What do these people have against clothes?_

 _Wait! Was I only dreaming about my arm? What the hell is going on?_ He tried flexing his fingers, but he couldn't be sure they worked. He rotated his arm to try and feel something with his fingertips, but he didn't feel anything. He tried the same thing with the right arm and felt the metal cuff against his fingertips. Was the gauze interfering somehow?

He swallowed what little moisture was in his mouth. It tasted funny; metallic, and then he realized that he tasted blood.

He looked around, looking for anything he could use, but unless he could get loose it was a moot point. He looked towards the curtained doorway for any movement beyond it, but he couldn't see much. There wasn't in the way of much sound either, unless you counted the hum of the ventilation system.

He strained against the metal cuffs, but again, they held fast.

It took a while, but eventually someone came to check on him. He thought about pretending to be asleep, but since he couldn't grab anyone, it felt like a wasted effort.

But the doctor wasn't alone, Pierce was there too. He watched as the doctor checked on Bucky. Bucky wasn't going to be a good patient and kept resisting the doctor.

"We can do this with you awake, or asleep, it's your choice."

"Then you'll have to do it the hard way, because I'm not going to cooperate."

"I see." The doctor looked at Pierce questioningly.

"You can play your little games for now, but once I get the green light from the doctors, I will have total obedience from you."

"Never."

"Say that again, once we have your little girlfriend."

Bucky tried to get off the gurney. He pulled with all his strength and raged at Pierce. He screamed with all his frustration. "YOU LEAVE MARY ALONE!"

"Scream all you want, no one here will help you. And in time you will know what real pain feels like. In the end I will win, and you will obey me."

"No I won't."

"That's what they all say, until the pain starts….and the screaming."


	33. Chapter 33

The Curse of Dr. Zola

Chapter 33

Mary fixed dinner with a heavy heart. They had to wait until morning to leave. Steve and Sam, kept in constant contact with what was left of SHIELD while they formulated a plan and got the necessary equipment and crew together.

The crew consisted of Fury, Stark, Nat, and Hawkeye. Most of the SHIELD members were down, especially after the fiasco in DC. Fury and Nat almost got Pierce, but the slippery demon got away.

Maria Hill went to work at Stark Industries, in a double capacity, and was keeping in touch, giving them advice about the most probable places HYDRA may have taken Bucky.

But for the time being, they'd spend the night and leave in the morning.

Mary woke in the middle of the night with her heart beating fast. She felt scared, but didn't know why. Suddenly, there was this loud bang from outside and Mary jumped off the bed, and ran for the door. She almost ran Sam over as he opened his door.

Steve had run up the steps from his room and ushered them both downstairs.

"I'm going to grab our gear, get her out through the escape tunnel, and Sam, don't look back."

Sam and Mary ducked into the tunnel and Steve secured the door. Grabbing his shield, Steve crept to the gear they had piled up. He got what he could and flung it down the stairs, and went back for the rest.

He heard the front door being smashed in as he adjusted his earpiece and called in a mayday. He ducked out of sight, but not before he saw who it was; a flash of red hair from the nightlights they kept on told him all he needed to know. He locked the secret door behind him and bolted down the stairs. He opened the tunnel, tossed the gear in, and locked the door behind him.

He almost had a heart attack when he felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Sam. He'd come to help with the gear. "I told you to stay with Mary!" Steve hissed.

"Huh?"

"Snap out of it."

"Oh damn, she voodooed me." Sam grabbed stuff and they ran for it.

Steve led the way through the maze of escape tunnels and secret doorways. Only he, Mary, and Bucky knew the layout. Several false doors were constructed as well to throw off anyone lucky enough to find their way down.

At the end of the tunnels, Mary was waiting with their escape vehicles; three motorcycles were ready to go.

"I hope you can ride." Mary said to Sam.

"My cousin had one of these, but it's been a long time. Maybe I should fly."

"Gear, we need the gear!"

Mary strapped her stuff on with amazing speed, put on her helmet, and jumped on.

"Her bike is the smallest, so we gotta be careful that we don't outrun her."

Sam pulled on a spare helmet, while Steve opted for his Captain America headgear.

"Keep Mary in the middle, and here, you might need this." Steve handed Sam his two pistols.

Sam stuffed one into his pajama bottoms, and sent up a silent prayer. This was going to be one helluva ride.

They started the bikes and Steve went first, and Sam in the sweep position.

Mary was not the best rider, but she had to make a run for her life, and Bucky was depending on her. Swallowing her fear, she raced into the night behind Steve.

Back at the house, Shawn showed up to assist Dottie, but they discovered no one there. Dottie screamed with rage while Shawn remained silent. They had gotten out somehow!

"The alarm has been triggered, we must go." Shawn finally acknowledged. "They cannot be far; we might still get the mark."

They ran to the waiting transport vehicles, and split up to cover more ground.

Shawn called in air support and they radioed back that there was a possible sighting. Unfortunately, it was in Dottie's direction. He instructed the vehicle's driver to turn around. He grabbed on as the car swung in a gut-wrenching U-turn, and sped forward.

Dot smiled as she planned in her head how she was finally going to celebrate completing the mission she'd been sent on in 1974.

She'd been punished severely for failing to retrieve the necklace, but it was so close now, she could almost feel victory.

* * *

Speeding along, Mary was concentrating all her efforts on keeping upright and between the ditches.

Steve was leading them to a pick-up point where a quin jet was waiting for them, and Mary was doing her best to keep up with Steve.

She did a double take as she saw a faint orange glow reflect off her bike, and her heart nearly jumped out of her chest!

She twisted the throttle just a little more and edged up to Steve. "Steve!"

He did a double take as well. With the necklace glowing, he knew something wasn't far behind.

Dottie received the coordinates from the air support and caught up with them; driving her souped up 1958 Plymouth Fury. She thought it was appropriate.

As Dot caught up, Steve had little choice but to send Mary on alone, while he and Sam took on the unenviable job of detaining the assassin trailing them.

Mary didn't even have a chance to look back, as Steve dropped back behind her; she just prayed that everything would be okay.

Mary pulled into the LZ, but there was no sign of Steve or Sam yet. She kept going and sped across the field towards what she hoped was the quin jet. It was just a sparkle of light until the back opened.

Clint ran down the ramp and waved her in. She waited until the last possible moment before slowing down. She ran right up the ramp into the jet.

"Where are the boys?" Nat asked.

Mary pointed out the back of the jet. "They had to take care of a little trouble."

Nat made Mary sit down and get herself buckled in, and then went to the back to peer out into the darkness.

Steve heard a clink against the Vibranium shield he had strapped to his back as a bullet struck him. "Sam, brake hard."

Dottie flew past them as both bikes braked hard. They were now behind her.

Sam pulled his sidearm out and shot at the tires, hit both on his side. As soon as they blew Dottie lost control of the car and swerved all over the road. She nearly took out Sam in the process.

Sam was barely able to keep it together to avoid her, and they raced away amidst her shooting at them.

"Damn." Sam muttered to himself as he followed Steve to the field.

They raced to the jet, but Shawn had caught up and was trailing them now.

Steve risked a glance behind them, and shook his head slightly. Shawn was too close. They were going to have to ride in hot. This was not going to be pretty; they needed a distraction.

Before Steve could think of one, he heard an explosion behind him. Another risky glance and he saw the vehicle hurtle off the ground and drop with a tremendous crash on its side. He was stunned by what he saw, but more stunned when his gaze returned towards the jet.

Mary was standing there just behind Clint and Nat; her arms outstretched. She had used her gift to lift the car off the ground and sent it crashing.

The threesome welcomed Steve and Sam as they rode right in. The back door ramp was still closing as Clint lifted the jet off the ground.

A scream came from Mary as she saw Shawn clambering over the ramp. He fired a shot at Steve and it glanced off his shoulder. As the shot went wild, Clint jerked on the controls sending the jet tipping precariously to the side. All the occupants went flying.

Shawn managed to get his legs in before the door clanged shut. But now, he became an even more dangerous problem, and the limited space of movement curtailed what Steve could do.

Shawn rushed forward, and Steve met him hand to hand. Both men struggled and fought; each one trying to overcome the other. Sam tried to slip past them to the door controls. If he could open the door, maybe Steve could push him out.

In his mind, Shawn didn't care about casualties, he didn't even care whether he lived or died and by now he certainly didn't care if he brought Mary in alive or not. Shawn jerked backwards, hurtling Steve overhead and sending him rolling towards the door.

Shawn turned with lightning speed to face Mary.

He glared at her as she retreated on her knees. She and Nat had taken hard hits when the jet tilted and she was hurting and bruised and scared.

Her eyes showed terror at first, but then Bucky came to her mind and without thinking she shoved him backwards with all her might.

Sam had pushed the button to open the door and Shawn got sucked out the narrow opening at the top.

Clint had managed to get them over the Hudson River by now, and Shawn took a dive into the dark waters.

Sam closed up the door, but now they had to contend with the other jet. They tried to get buckled in before a hail of bullets assaulted them. Clint had to tilt wildly to avoid as many as possible.

The girls got buckled in, but Sam and Steve got tossed. Mary managed to grab them before they hit the steel wall of the jet and suspended them in mid-air as the jet swung around the other way.

Sam felt himself drop a couple feet as Mary's back slammed against the hull. He felt like a rag doll being carried by a 5 year old.

Nat got herself sorted and fired back from the co-pilot's seat.

"Hang on back there."

"What do you think we're doing?" Sam yelled forward. "Baking cookies?"

Mary managed to get Sam over to the seats, and he promptly buckled in. The jet took a hard hit as she pulled Steve over and she lost her concentration. Steve dropped to the floor and rolled back and forth until Clint got the jet under control.

"Fire back, so I can get Steve in the seat." She used her gift to press down on him and keep him from becoming a human pinball.

"I'm firing!" Nat yelled back.

Clint kept up some pretty damn fancy flying, but it was making Mary airsick. "Oh Clint, you're making me nauseous."

"Sorry, I'm trying not to get us dead."

Mary focused on the back door button. "I'll take care of them, just get in front of them. I'm going to open the door."

She punched on the button and the door began opening. She pulled Steve across the floor and he grabbed on to a seat. She unbuckled herself and stumbled her way to see out. She pushed out with both hands as the jet took a hit. She disabled an engine on the other jet and it tumbled downward, but she lost her balance and slid towards the open door.

Screaming, she grabbed onto whatever she could, her legs dangling out over the door. "I can't hold on!"

Steve and Sam formed a human chain and pulled Mary in a second before she lost her grip.

Sam leaned back, gasping for his breath. He looked at Steve and shook his head. "And you told me she was a nice girl!"

Free from pursuit now, they all broke out in a relieved laugh.

Steve untangled himself and closed the back door. "She is; she makes chocolate chip cookies."

"Uh guys, I got good news and bad news."

"What's the good news?'

"We're still in one piece."

"And the bad news?"

"We aren't going to be able to get too far in this rig, we've got damage."

"Alright, find a safe landing zone, and we'll call for a lift."

* * *

Clint managed to get them to his house and land without incident, but now they were without a ride. Fury was supposedly dead as far as the world was concerned, and there wasn't too much left of SHIELD. Maria Hill managed to send them another jet, but it meant another delay, and Mary was feeling a lot of anxiety waiting for it to arrive.

Steve was too, except he didn't show it quite as much outwardly. Inside, he was turning into mush just thinking about what HYDRA was doing to Bucky.


	34. Chapter 34

The Curse of Dr. Zola

Chapter 34

Interlude-1988

Willa had tears rolling down her face as she watched her daughter drive away. They had had yet another fight, and this time it was bad; her baby girl was moving out to be on her own.

She walked back into the house, but it felt so empty. She sighed and went downstairs to the basement.

She walked over to the time capsule that held James Buchanan Barnes, and traced her fingers delicately over the surface. "What am I supposed to do now?" She asked him, as if he would be able to answer her.

"I've known you most of my life, and I still don't know what I'm supposed to do with you. Mama told me that when the time came, I'd know what to do, but Uncle James, **how** am I supposed to know?"

Willa felt like a failure. She had failed her mother by getting pregnant. She'd failed her son and he died. She failed at trying to train her daughter properly, and now she was gone. "I don't want to fail you too."

She sighed. She wished her mother were here. She also knew that she'd get 'that look', the one she dreaded that only her mother could produce; that look that made her feel awful inside. Once that look came across her mama's face, it made Willa feel like a failure.

"I won't fail again mama. I'll look after her from a distance. I'll protect her, no matter what."

And that's what she did. She watched over her daughter and protected her in silence over the years. She used her gift to acquire the wealth she needed to fund her daughter's inheritance. She put money away into the trust fund that she'd set up for Mary's use once she turned 25.

And she made a huge decision; she needed to prepare Bucky for his future.

She scouted around for some land and bought it; 6.575 acres to be exact. She spent a good deal of time to find the right contractors and hired them to build a house on it.

Of course, it was easy to 'persuade' the men to build to her specific design; her gift came in handy to cloud their minds. No one came onto the property unless she authorized it and she had to 'speak' to them alone first.

The plans that were to be submitted to the zoning board would be the nice legal ones that would conform to current standards, but in secret, they built the house Willa needed. They installed secret doors to secret rooms and used materials not usually used in home building, but James had to be kept safe from prying eyes.

When the basement was finished, she 'persuaded' some of the men to move James to what Willa hoped would be his final stop on his long arduous journey. She patted the wall of little secret compartments. The one thing she learned from her mother was the art of hiding something in plain sight.

After they left, Willa cried for hours before she was finally able to tear herself away. The man sleeping in the capsule felt like a part of her somehow, and now she felt like she was leaving a part of her heart behind. From the moment her mother had 'introduced' her to "Uncle James' he had unknowingly influenced her life forever; she named her only son James Buchanan, and even married a man named James. Who knew?

She shrouded the house deed in layers and only her dearest, oldest attorney friend knew who the property really belonged to, but even then, Willa had to take steps to insure he couldn't tell anyone, and she reluctantly 'persuaded' her oldest friend into silence.

They had gone to college together, and became friends. He went off to law school, while Willa interned at the CIA, eventually getting a job in New York City as a paper pusher. Not many women were field agents, like her mother, but Willa did alright for herself, and kept the secrets her family had kept over the years. When Willa met and later married JT, they had lost touch, but re-connected at a social function in NYC. He became her 'family' attorney ever since.

When he semi-retired and moved out to the suburbs, she visited often. He was a widower by then and she was a widow. They talked briefly about marriage, but nothing really came of it. Aside from JT, who she loved, it was her old friend she regretted about not tying the knot with. It was he that she told about the son she had lost, not JT, and they wept over the loss together.

When he asked her about when she was moving into the house, she told him it was for her daughter, and that's when they set up the layers upon layers of confusing and misleading documentation.

She hired a designer for the interior and turned it into the 1940's on the inside for James, and as always, everything had a secret within a secret. The CIA always taught her to have contingency plans, and she excelled at the skill.

Over the years she had the house updated, and new things installed to keep up to date. When her health began failing, she implored her old friend to keep up the directives she had set in place. She liquidated her assets, and used the last of her strength to 'persuade" someone to put them in the secret compartments.

Her old friend held her hand as she passed from this world, and he cried over not only losing her once, but twice. He regretted not pushing her a bit harder into a marriage of peace and contentment, but Willa was a strong woman. He admired her strength, and suffered along with her in silence in her later years. She never complained, but he always felt there was so much more that she carried that she could never share with anyone. Why she felt she had to carry it alone was the one question he never asked her, and now it was too late.

* * *

Bucky heard someone screaming in the distance. From the agonizing sound, he wondered what torture they were doing to that poor bastard…..

And then he came to and realized he was that poor bastard!

He'd been screaming while unconscious, and his throat was almost ready to rupture when Pierce ordered the torture stopped.

It had been a while since he had last seen Pierce, and he couldn't remember the last time they had brought him any food. His body was weak from hunger, and the torture from the electric shock was driving him to his limits.

"Give him some water." Pierce directed. "He can go for a while without food, but he still needs water."

Someone held a glass of water with a straw in it close and Bucky sucked down the water before Pierce changed his mind about it.

Was this the third or fourth round of starvation he'd endured? He didn't know. All time stopped for him.

Pierce was insidious. He was using Bucky's enhanced body against him, knowing he needed 4 times the amount of food as any normal man, he purposely starved him.

"Ok, that's enough for now." He dismissed the tech manning the controls. "You're going to come around to my way of thinking you know; it's just a matter of time. You will obey me."

Bucky couldn't even talk to tell him to go and do something anatomically impossible to himself, so he just glared.

"I'll have some food sent in after I leave, but I won't always be this kind." Pierce left the room.

He made Bucky wait 30 minutes before someone came and left a tray of food on the floor, and then left Bucky hanging from the magnetic cuffs on the wall another 15 minutes to stare at the food he couldn't get to before he was released.

He fell heavily to the floor when the cuffs opened. Bucky was so exhausted he had to crawl to get to the tray. He wolfed down the food like a madman until his stomach revolted. He willed himself not to vomit it all up again, forcing it to stay down. His body desperately needed food. He didn't know how much longer he could survive these bouts of torture and starvation. Each round was worse because his body was weaker each time.

Shawn came in and grabbed Bucky by his hair. "Comply and this will all be over." He let Bucky's head drop to the floor and walked to his feet. He picked him up by the ankles and dragged him down the hall for some new kind of torture.

* * *

"So, are we all set?" Steve looked around at his teams; Nat and Clint, Fury and Wilson, Mary and himself. "You all have your assignments and targets. We will all check our gear, and make sure everything works. Maria will be our eyes and ears at Stark Tower and Tony will partner up with War Machine once he arrives. Maria has briefed him already. We will hit all four targets simultaneously. Make sure no one pops the cyanide pill, we need at least one person alive."

Rhodey landed in Clint's yard shortly thereafter, and he and Tony stood at the ready. The teams boarded the jets and they took off one by one.

Laura watched them leave, and gave Mary a hopeful send-off.

They all checked in with Maria just before attacking their targets. Steve realized that they were spreading themselves really thin, but he hoped to cut down on the time factor. With Bucky in the hands of HYDRA there was nothing to stop them from hurting him.

Steve gave the signal and the four targets were attacked in unison flawlessly. Steve was worried about Mary. She wasn't a soldier. She wasn't a warrior. She had only had the most basic of training, but most of all, she was untested in a real fight.

IN NYC when the aliens were invading, she mostly helped the others by distracting the flying monsters and the chariot riding Chitauri. She assisted civilians off the streets and to safety, but she really hadn't fought anyone hand to hand. Steve hoped it wouldn't come to that.

The teams checked in as they secured their targets.

Fury and Wilson had come up empty at their target. So did Nat and Clint. No Bucky.

Stark and Rhodes fared better and managed to secure several operatives, none of which knew anything about any other cell. But that's what interrogation was for later.

* * *

Mary pushed at people and things, and Steve bashed them with his shield. When he could, he threw the shield and Mary amplified its' velocity and impact.

She wore the necklace and it amplified what she could do, but it never glowed for her, not even once.

 _How did mama do it?_

In the end they found very little for their efforts. They rounded up all their captives and for the ride back, Mary was allowed to interrogate them.

Only one gave up a clue and then he laughed in her face. She got mad and slapped his face.

"You'll never find him!" He taunted her.

She leaned in closer. "What if I want them to find me?"

Steve's face fell. "Mary, you don't want to do this."

"Steve, what choice do I have? I can't leave Bucky there to suffer, and we're wasting time." She turned back to their prisoner. "If I surrender myself, will they exchange me for Bucky?"

Suddenly, his face seemed less than certain. "How do I know this isn't a trap?"

"How bad do they want me? If we let you go, will you get word to them?"

He nodded.

"Steve, please!"

"Mary, you don't know what you'll be walking into."

"Did Bucky? If you were captured, Bucky would do the same for you."

"I know he would."

"Then let me do this."

"Bucky will never forgive me."

"He will when you find me."

Steve opened his mouth, but there just wasn't anything left to say, so he looked down at the floor and nodded slightly.

Mary turned her attention back to their prisoner. "Exchange or nothing, and Bucky better be in good health."

"I'll tell them."


	35. Chapter 35

The Curse of Dr. Zola

Chapter 35

Interlude

Willa put the pen down and looked at the newest section she wrote. Secretly, she actually had grown to enjoy coming up to the cottage, but she'd never admit it out loud.

Her old friend had helped her arrange a secret trip whenever she'd come to visit him, just in case anyone might be spying on her.

Even after all the years, she never got out of the habit of travelling in secret; one could never be too careful.

Dearest Daughter,

I was at your house today, and visiting with Uncle James again. I suppose you might think it funny that I call him "Uncle" James, but I've never known him as anyone else. Mama always referred to him that way.

I suppose in her way of thinking, it was the easiest way to explain him to me. I was just a child then, but I was very aware of the world around me; sometimes too much.

I suffered from terrible headaches when I was a child, but they were caused by using my strange ability. How I hated to use it! But mama and I were so far from home, and Uncle James had to be kept safe. Mama bribed me with toys or food at first, but once I caught on, all I wanted was to talk to Uncle James!

It's funny now to think if it, but really, he was the one thing in my life that never changed. I'd often sit and marvel at the container he was placed in, and how it kept him alive. Oh, there were times I doubted it, but mostly, I believed in him. Mama always did. Mama said he was going to change the world.

I was always tempted to release him, but Mama said I'd know for sure when the time was right. I never felt it, no matter how hard I tried.

And then it happened…

I got too old.

I got too old to train him, and that's when I knew.

I knew it was YOU I was saving him for! You were the one. You were always stronger than I was.

You scoffed at your ability. You got mad at me for trying to keep you home when all you wanted was to go out and be accepted by your friends.

But then you found out they weren't really your friends, and that no good boy you had a crush on! He was so mean to you! All I wanted was to hold you and tell you everything would be okay. You cried for days, and I felt your pain. I also felt when your ability emerged. You had to deal with so much, but you wouldn't let me help. You needed to do it on your own.

I knew when you were old enough, you'd be strong enough to handle both your abilities and him, and I knew I had to let you.

Stay strong, my angel from Heaven. You were my miracle! I love you so much.

Your loving mother,

Willa

Willa wiped the tears from her cheeks, and drew a symbol in the book; a wheel with Rune symbols

around the edges. She walked the book back to its hiding place. She secured the book and closed up the secret hiding space.

"When you are ready, daughter, you will find this. You will be tested, and should you be victorious, only then will your soul be worthy."

* * *

Bucky screamed again, only this time it ended in an anguished, defeated wail.

Pierce walked in just in time to hear the last notes. He waved to the technician to end the torture. He knew Bucky was close to breaking.

This was the longest time he had denied Bucky food and water, and he was about to crack; he could sense it. He walked over to where Bucky hung on the wall. He grabbed his chin and lifted up his head, but before he could speak, someone came running into the room.

"This had better be good. You know the punishment for interrupting me when I'm working."

"Yes, sir. I have a message for you."

Pierce let Bucky's head drop and walked over.

The messenger whispered the message in his ear, and Pierce's head snapped up. "Now, that is what I call good news."

Pierce turned towards the tech. "You are done for the day. Send the Asset into my office."

Pierce took one last look at the man hanging on the wall before he left.

* * *

The Asset stood at the doorway to Pierce's office. He dared not to enter until he'd been invited in.

Pierce let him wait there a good 10 minutes before acknowledging him. Total obedience included restraint.

He'd been teaching that to Bucky, as he had taught it to The Curse. Even tho you got a reward, you had to wait until you were told you could have it.

The Curse was easy to train. He was young, and strong. He'd come to Pierce from the Russians, and before that he had been trained by Dr. Zola and Johann Schmidt.

The techniques had been improved over the years, and The Curse had felt them all; deprivation of food and sleep, electric torture, extreme temperatures, beatings, the Chair of Agony, broken bones, and rape.

They raped his mind and his body until he showed no emotion at all. They robbed him of every decent thought. They drilled into him that pain was a way of life; order only came from pain. His rewards were often others punishment. The Curse felt nothing about doling out punishments. They failed; therefore, they deserved to be punished. And The Curse was good at it, no; he excelled at it.

"Enter."

The Curse entered the office and stood in the exact spot he'd stood many times before.

"Mission report."

The Curse reported to him the latest update, and Pierce nodded his head.

"Good work soldier. I have a new mission for you. First, you are to take Barnes down to room 5. He's hanging on the wall. Throw a bucket of ice water on him to wake him up. How you get him down there is no concern of mine, however…after you treat him to some hospitality bring him to the infirmary, and lock him down. Second, you may reward yourself with Dottie once again. She's in room 1. One hour, and prepare yourself; we're going to have a guest joining us."

* * *

Bucky coughed up the water from his lungs again. Was it four times? Five? He'd lost count.

Shawn shoved Bucky's head under the water again before Bucky had completely discharged all the water from the last time. The ice cold water stung his eyes, and panic gripped him again. He felt his head being yanked backwards by the handful of hair Shawn had grasped and it hurt.

Bucky coughed more, and tried to get air into his oxygen-starved lungs. His body was limp, held up only by the fistful of hair that Shawn held him by.

Finally, Shawn had had enough fun, and let Bucky drop to the wet floor. Bucky continued to sputter, not having enough strength to do anything else, except fight for his life.

Shawn rolled him over onto his back and dragged Bucky down the halls to the infirmary by his feet. Why he was told to bring him there, he didn't know. The infirmary was for healing time. But it wasn't his place to question; he did as he was told.

He pulled Bucky into the infirmary and yanked him to his feet. He placed him on the steel table and clamped down his limbs. The doctor came over and began checking on him. "What is it this time?"

Shawn just glared at him with those cold eyes. "I was just told to bring him down here." Then he turned and left.

* * *

Mary was picking thru her closet and packing her bag, getting ready for the trade-off with whoever was in charge of HYDRA.

The remaining prisoners were brought to justice, while the one was let go.

She had cried a lot on the way home, and Steve and the others kept trying to change her mind about this.

"The world needs James Buchanan Barnes more than me." That was her argument against Steve.

She started crying again in the closet. _This isn't going to help, Mary. Stop it!_ She banged her fist against the wall in useless protest repeatedly. A distinct sound came from inside the wall and she stopped. Her mouth dropped open.

She leaned out of the closet and yelled. "STEVE!"

Within seconds Steve raced into the bedroom and expected the worst. "What is it?"

"Tap all along the walls; I think there's another hidden room or compartment in my closet!"

As Steve tapped, Sam, Nat and Clint arrived.

Clint pushed Mary out of the closet so he could squeeze through. "What are we looking for?"

"Another hidden compartment; apparently this whole house is full of them."

"Sounds hollow there." Clint muttered.

"But where's the unlock feature?" Steve added.

They both felt around with their fingers, but couldn't come up with anything until Clint noticed a design on the light switch. When he pushed what appeared to be the two screws, a click sounded and Steve was able to open a small compartment. He drew out a number of composition books. "Mary?"

Mary poked her head in to see what they had found. "More books? Oh my!"

They all went to the living room and sat.

Mary's fingers shook as she opened the first book. It was old and it was dated 1950-1960 on the cover.

Dear Diary, Mary read it out loud. "Oh my! It's my mom's!"

Today is my 10th birthday, and I got this book as a present from mama. I also got a new blue dress that I can't wait to show Uncle James!

"Uncle James?" The look on Mary's face was priceless.

Uncle James lives in our basement. I've known him for most of my life. He sleeps in his cradle in the basement. I don't know why though. Mama has promised me that she will tell me when I'm old enough, but for now she gave me this book so I can write about my life and remember things. When Uncle James wakes up, I can tell him all about me, and all the things he missed about me growing up.

"Didn't Kate mention something like this?"

"She did, but I never expected this." Mary flipped thru the pages and read random passages out loud.

She skimmed over pages here and there until her face turned ghostly white.

"Mary?" Steve prompted.

Mary was silent as her eyes read the words on the page and her eyes began filling with tears.

Dear Diary, Mary choked out.

I am late! I haven't had my monthly and I'm scared! I think I'm pregnant!

"But that can't be! I wasn't born until 1970 and this is reading 1958! What the hell?"

Dear Diary,

Another month has gone by and still nothing! I am so scared! What am I going to do? How do I tell mama? She is going to be so mad at me. I can't sleep, and now I feel sick this morning, but I hid it from her. Graduation is in June, but I can't hide this until then! Oh, Uncle James, what would you tell me to do?

Dear Diary,

I told mama. I had to! Now, she's SO mad at me. I'm in my bedroom. Mama slapped me in the face and called me stupid. She has to send me away to a boarding house in the city for unwed mothers. I'm so ashamed of myself.

Mary skipped ahead.

Dear Diary,

I can barely walk my belly is so big! Everyone says I'm going to have a boy, but I'm not sure. The women who run the house look at me like I'm dirty, but I was in love! Now look at me! Big as a house and all alone. Of course, I was never allowed to see him again….ooh, ooh, I think I feel something! The baby is kicking me something awful! Oh my God, what is that? I think my water just broke! I'm going into labor!

Dear Diary,

It's been a long time since my last entry. Something went horribly wrong! I gave birth to a boy, a very big boy, 10 pounds, but he was too big for me and it hurt something inside me. They had to call for a real doctor, and I had to have surgery. The doctor said I can't ever have any more children because the baby was too big for my body.

He's beautiful! The most beautiful thing I've ever seen! I'm still in a lot of pain, but I'm nursing him. Even mama said how beautiful he was. I named him James Buchanan Engel. I named him after you Uncle James. Since I refused to name his father, he has my last name. It's funny, but I can't remember knowing mama's maiden name.

Dear Diary,

We're going home today! Mama told me she sold the house and we're moving again! Uncle James has already been moved, and I can't wait to show him my beautiful boy!


	36. Chapter 36

The Curse of Dr. Zola

Chapter 36

Bucky accepted the spoonful of scrambled eggs eagerly and swallowed it down so fast he barely even tasted it. The nurse spoon fed him the entire meal as he was still strapped down. He wolfed down every spoonful like a madman.

He was expecting more even after the last bit was gone.

"If that stays down, I'll be back with some more."

Bucky looked like he was going to cry as she walked out of the room.

He needed food! _Why won't they feed me?_ His mind was going in several directions at once until his stomach lurched.

 _OH GOD! Here it comes…_ Bucky felt the food disagreeing with his tormented stomach. His torso heaved as the food threatened to leave. He clamped his teeth together and used every last ounce of strength and willed the food to stay down.

In the end he won, but his stomach protested violently. His chest heaved with exertion as he tried to catch his breath.

30 minutes and two more episodes later, the nurse came back with some broth and a straw.

Bucky sucked down every drop in two minutes flat. Another waiting period, and more food.

"That's all for now. Your stomach has to re-adjust."

As the nurse left, Pierce strolled in. "I see you are eating, that's good. You're going home soon. We no longer have a need for you. Such a waste tho, to think what you could have become, but I got a bargain with Shawn. He was young, eager, and he broke fast. Breaking you would be most satisfying, a real win for my career, but I've got a bigger fish on the line, so I don't need you anymore. It'll be fun to watch your face when I drop you off at home." Pierce glanced at Bucky's confused face as he strolled back out.

* * *

Bucky had been cleaned up. As he came round from the sedative, he realized that he was dressed and on board a quin jet. His wrists were in a Vibranium restraint and Shawn was glaring at him coldly.

"Where are we?" Bucky asked.

He got no reply, but then he really didn't expect one. He looked around, trying to use all his senses to determine what was going on, but he was able to discern very little. He was in no danger that he could tell, but he kept on alert just in case.

* * *

Mary sat in stunned silence. No one knew what to say.

"I have a brother…" Mary mumbled. "I have a brother! Steve, I have a brother!"

Steve smiled back.

"But where is he? What happened to him?"

Mary quickly skimmed over the last pages of routine motherly entries, put the book down and picked up the next one.

She read a few more detailing little James progress; crawling, first word, first step, all the usual, but the sound of a jet engine caused her to put the book down.

"It's time." She stood up and went to grab her bag.

Steve tried to stop her. "Steve, I have to do this."

He sighed as he followed her out.

They saw the back ramp lowering to the ground, and Pierce himself stepped out. "All yours!"

Shawn had Bucky over his shoulder like a bag of potatoes, and he stepped out onto the grass.

"I want to see him, and make sure he's ok first." Mary defiantly stood her ground.

Shawn looked over at Pierce questioningly. Pierce gave him a "whatever" look and a half-hearted eye roll, but nodded.

Shawn dumped Bucky on the ground and backed up a foot or two.

Mary, Steve and the rest converged on him. Mary's face went white and then livid with rage at his condition. "What have you done?" She looked at the metal arm, and obvious weight loss.

"He's alive, isn't he? That's more than generous in my opinion."

"You bastard!"

"You gave me your word, now let's get going before I change my mind and have him and all your friends killed where they stand. What? You don't think I came alone, did you?"

Mary caressed Bucky's face, and leaned down to kiss him goodbye. "I'll see you soon, and we'll get married, just like we planned."

She stood, and with bag in hand, walked towards the jet.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Bucky screamed. "Steve, you've got to stop her! For the love of God, you've got to stop her." Bucky struggled to his feet as Pierce threw the unlocking mechanism for his cuffs onto the ground.

Bucky was still very weak, but his love was very strong, and he got to his feet to try and get to Mary.

Steve leaned into him to help keep his body upright.

The last thing he saw was Mary's face as the door closed on the jet and it lifted off.

With a final cry, Bucky collapsed and his world went black.

* * *

Bucky woke up some time later, and it was déjà vu. He was on the bed in the spare bedroom. Nothing had changed; the walls were the same muted earth-tone color, the linens as simple and homey as before, and the wash stand still held the bowl and pitcher.

He was disoriented as before, until his mind remembered and he let out a heart-wrenching wail.

Steve came running in.

"Why didn't you stop her? Why? Why Steve?" Bucky broke into tears, as Steve put his arms around him.

"Don't worry Buck, we'll find her. I won't stop until she's home."

* * *

On Asgard, Heimdall stood and watched over all the realms as he always did. He expected nothing out of the ordinary as it was just another day to him. But then something caught his eye.

It started out quite small, but then it grew to be a bright light. His breath caught in his chest, as he turned to run to the palace of the King.

He did not pause. He did not chat. He ran! He ran past Thor. He ran right past everybody only to stop before Odin himself.

"What is this all about, Heimdall? You never leave your post."

"My King, please forgive me, but I have important news."

Odin stood up. Heimdall would never leave his post unless it was life or death. "What has happened?"

"My King, the Soul-stone has woken."


	37. Chapter 37

I am publishing a little early this week as I am going away for a few days. I'll return to the regular schedule next week. I would like to take a moment to thank all the people who have added this story to their "follow" and "favorite" lists. I appreciate it. I would also like to take a moment to express my thanks for all those reviewing and taking time to PM me, comments, suggestions etc. Thank you all for reading, even if you did not leave reviews. It does my heart good to connect in this small way. Enjoy.

* * *

The Curse of Dr. Zola

Chapter 37

Odin's hand went to his chest and he sat back down.

Thor went to Heimdall. "Where? Where is it?"

"Midgard." He simply stated. "Earth."

Thor turned to look at the King. "I must go Father."

Odin nodded solemnly.

Thor turned and left the palace with Heimdall.

Odin instructed a guard to fetch Lady Sif, and once she arrived, she was charged with a mission to go to Midgard and find the woman who wielded the Soul-stone and protect her at all costs.

"Yes, my King."

"Only a woman can wield the Soul-stone, only a woman of Norse descent can control it….only a woman with Asgardian blood in her veins can use it to save her world."

"An Asgardian? On Midgard? How has this come to be?"

"I was young once, dear Lady Sif, young and in love once; once, before I fell in love with Frigga. You must understand the stone. It will only work for someone of perfect strength and purity of heart, someone who has sacrificed everything for the one they love. Only then will their soul be deemed worthy. You must hurry, there isn't much time."

Sif hurried from the palace, as Odin looked sad in his throne-room; his eyes seeing a distant place in the past.

* * *

Mary was ushered to a seat, tears of emptiness running down her face. Bucky's anguished cry echoed in her head. She felt it would haunt her forever.

Underneath her clothes, the Soul-stone began to glow softly.

"You're not going to cry now, are you?" Pierce chided her. "Crying is weakness. HYDRA doesn't tolerate weakness."

Mary's eyes flashed anger. "You push me and I'll show you what it's like to be on my bad side."

Pierce chuckled. "It's your bad side that I want."

"Good luck with that."

"We need you to activate the stone."

"I hate to disappoint you, but it doesn't work for me. It never has, so you're out of luck."

Pierce frowned. "You say that now…"

"No, I'm not kidding you. I don't know anything about how to make it work. My mother kept it all my life. She never taught me anything about it. I only just found it recently."

For the first time Pierce fell silent. Clearly this was not what he was expecting. "Well, you'd better figure it out, and fast."

Mary just glared at him.

"Don't worry; we'll make sure you have some incentive." Pierce took a second to glance at Shawn. "Won't we?"

Shawn said nothing. He knew he wasn't expected to answer. If Pierce had expected an answer, he would have stared Shawn right in the eyes as he asked.

Shawn looked Mary over. _She is fragile, weak. She would not survive much in the ways of HYDRA._ He wanted to be the one assigned to break her. The other woman, though strong, was no match for Shawn's strength. He was rewarded when she failed. He secretly hoped this one would break quickly. It was time to be rewarded again. It would be the best reward to take this woman from Barnes, and then she would know the Curse of Dr. Zola.

Somewhere deep in his mind he thought she looked familiar to him; the blonde hair, the shape of her face. He thought maybe he'd seen it somewhere before, as he studied her features. He mentally shook it off. Pierce would not approve, and Shawn knew better than to ask. It would only gain him a visit to the chair. He would obey. He would comply. It was his duty to wait for the next assignment.

The jet flew them to a secret base and they arrived several hours later.

"Take her to the infirmary. Do not damage her." Pierce stared at him firmly. "You damage her, and you will be punished severely."

Pierce left by way of the elevator. Shawn grasped her wrist and tugged her towards the infirmary.

* * *

Mary was very uncooperative for the doctor until Shawn backhanded her. She fell off the exam table, crying and bleeding.

"Now, now, there is no need for that! I'm sure she will comply." The medical staff got Mary back up on the table. "Back up or I will call Pierce."

Shawn hesitated. He was not used to the doctor giving him orders, but the threat of Pierce made Shawn step back a couple of feet. The doctor did what he could and then a nurse escorted Mary into the back to change into a hospital gown.

"Remain here!" The doctor commanded firmly. He went to the back to finish up the exam.

When it was over, the doctor called Pierce on his office phone, and reported to him. He nodded several times and hung up.

"Pierce said you are to escort her to guest room 1 and stand guard outside until you are relieved. Understood?"

Shawn nodded and grasped Mary by her wrist and took her to her quarters.

He opened the door and pulled her inside. He let go of her and closed the door behind him as he left. He would stand there until was ordered somewhere else.

Mary laid herself down on the bed and cried. The orange stone's glow had long faded and now was dull in color.

* * *

Steve helped Bucky get some food into him. It had been some time, but still Bucky's stomach reacted badly.

He vomited into the toilet, unsuccessful in keeping it down this time.

Bucky wiped his mouth and got up from his knees, with Steve by his side. Steve could feel how much weight Bucky had lost and he was angry; angry that Bucky had been taken, that Steve couldn't find him sooner, and angry because he let Mary leave.

"I'm sorry Buck, I'm so sorry."

"I need more food."

They went back to the kitchen and Bucky started again to eat.

"He should start with something lighter, otherwise he's going to be kneeling in front of the toilet again." Sam remarked.

"I need food!" Bucky growled at him.

Sam put up his hands in surrender. "I'm just saying…"

Bucky had glossed over what had happened while he was away, but they all knew he wasn't telling them everything. But Bucky was determined to eat. He had to get his strength back to go after Mary.

Bucky sighed at last. "You're right. I'll start with some toast or eggs."

"Now, you're being sensible."

"They've got Mary!"

"We know Buck. We're going to get her back, but you need to recover. She'll be safe for a while at least, they won't risk hurting her."

"You don't know that!" His right hand banged on the table.

"Look man, we can argue the point all day, but you need to get your head straight, let your stomach adjust slowly, and get better. That's the only way you'll have what it takes to go rescue your girl." Sam told him.

Bucky sighed. "I know, but it's hard to relax when they've got her, and you don't know what The Curse is capable of."

"Here, start with the toast." Steve put the plate down in front of him. "I'll be over with the eggs in a minute."

* * *

The doctor knocked lightly at Pierce's office door, and waited. Pierce made everyone wait.

"Come in."

The doctor opened the door and came in and closed the door behind him, something he rarely did.

Pierce looked at him in surprise. "You are here to give me the report on our guest?"

"Yes, sir. She seems pretty healthy…"

"Excellent. " Pierce cut off the rest of his sentence.

"But…" The doctor looked around nervously. "We have a problem."

Pierce stood up. "What sort of problem?"

"She's pregnant."


	38. Chapter 38

The Curse of Dr. Zola

Chapter 38

They sat in the living room and Steve showed Bucky the latest books that had been found.

"It makes me wonder if there are more secret compartments in this house." Bucky said.

"I'll call Tony and see if he has any ideas on how to find them." Steve went to make the phone call.

Bucky opened the first page of the first book and read about Mary's then 10 year old mother talking about him.

 _"Uncle James lives in the basement."_

 _"Look at my birthday present Uncle James!"_

It made Bucky feel kind of weird.

"Tony says he'll fly up with some tech, and look around. I see you have read some of the book." Steve sat on the sofa next to Bucky.

"Yeah. It's very strange reading about myself."

"I can imagine. Wait until you get to the end on book one."

"Why? What happens?" Bucky flipped to the back and started reading.

He picked his head up. "She has a brother?"

"Apparently."

"What happened to him?"

"We haven't gotten that far."

Bucky kept reading until he blushed. He looked at Steve. "She named him after me?"

Steve just nodded.

Bucky picked up the next book.

 _Dear Diary,_

 _Little James is unstoppable! He runs all day long and I'm exhausted. I am going back to work part-time while mama watches him. She has semi-retired, but fills in when she is needed._

 _Dear Diary,_

 _We took Little James to the park today. He ran after the bigger kids and tried to keep up with them. His energy level is inexhaustible, but when the day comes to an end, he sleeps just like you Uncle James. He sleeps so soundly that I have a hard time waking him up. Oh, how I wish you were here and awake. I bet you'd love to take him on walks. He needs a father figure in his life. He's so trusting._

Bucky flipped pages, and read some more out loud.

 _Dear Diary,_

 _It's been several days since this happened, but I just couldn't stop crying long enough to see to write._

 _I've had the worst day of my life!_

 _Yesterday, I buried my son…_

Bucky could barely get the words out. Sam, Steve, Nat and Clint all sat up to pay attention. Shocked looks and silence reigned over the news Bucky just read.

He swallowed hard to get the lump in his throat to go down before he could continue.

 _We had been planning a surprise for Little James, and we were going to the beach for the weekend. I don't know what happened! One minute he was running around like crazy, and the next minute he was dead!_

 _He was at the very back of the yard where the trees were. Mama and I were talking. I called him for lunch but he never answered. By the time I got there, he was dead. The doctor said his neck was broken! HOW? HOW? WHY? WHY DID THIS HAPPEN?_

 _Mama took care of all the details. I just spent every minute with you Uncle James. I couldn't stop crying. Poor Mama! Nothing she did could get me out of the basement. Finally, she gave up and let me stay there. You are all I have left to cling to, you and Mama._

Bucky choked up and lost it. He couldn't continue. Steve took the book and finished reading.

 _He was my whole world. Every minute was a wonder to behold as he discovered something new. He had learned to read so fast and would recite the numbers on your cradle from memory. He would ask me to tell him stories about how brave you were in the war. He wouldn't go to bed unless I told him a story about you. I spoiled him by starting that tradition._

 _I told him how his grandma and I had to run for our lives to escape Germany. Mama drove the truck and I "enchanted" people to let us pass. But I hated doing it! I always had a headache and felt sick afterwards. Mama pleaded with me, promised me things and said I could spend more time with you, so I did it for Mama. I did it for you._

 _I remember Mama telling me how strong and brave you were Uncle James. No matter how mad at her you got, you were always a good man. She told me how she tried to make you stay with her. She couldn't tell you why, but she told me how she regretted what she had done, and how it haunted her, and how she wished she had done things differently._

 _She hadn't told me much before Little James was born, but afterwards she told me a lot._

 _I can't ever have any more children because of the accident when Little James was born, but maybe, just maybe, when you are finally awake and have children of your own, you can visit with me and I can give them the books I've been writing. Maybe I can be their Auntie Willa! If you could just please forgive me, forgive us for what we robbed from you._

 _I am on my knees, Uncle James, to ask for your forgiveness. I beg of you, please. Mama was only trying to save you!_

Steve stopped reading. He had to wipe tears from his eyes, and take a couple of deep breaths. He skimmed over some entries and read a few others out loud, including the one where Willa had met JT.

 _Dear Diary,_

 _Today at the lunch counter I met a nice man. It's funny, but his name is James. James Thomas Bailey. It has a nice ring to it. We were both trying to place our lunch orders at the deli counter. We laughed over the mishap and decided to sit together. He seemed very nice, a lot nicer than anyone else I've met. He works for the telephone company. We had a nice lunch and asked if he could see me again. I said yes, and we made plans to meet tomorrow for lunch._

 _Dear Diary,_

 _JT bought lunch for me. We took it with us to the small park down the block. We talked a lot. He's originally from Connecticut, up near where Katherine Hepburn lived. He apologized for being presumptuous, but he said if I wanted, he'd drive me up to see her estate. He has his own car Uncle James! Imagine that! I drive Mama's car, but I still don't have one of my own._

 _Dear Diary,_

 _JT asked me to marry him! I said yes!_

 _Dear Diary,_

 _It's almost Christmas, and I've caught the bug going around at the office. 3 people have already come down with it and we've been short at the office. I've been staying late and now I've got it. Poor JT! He's been doing all the work for the holidays and Mama is coming. I tried to tell her not to come, but she insists on coming to care for me. JT will pick her up Christmas morning._

Dear Diary,

It's Christmas and Mama has come at last. I was throwing up again in the bathroom this morning. Mama wore her necklace and we saw it glowing this morning! Mama said it was a miracle! I don't know how, but somehow I'm pregnant! The doctors said I could never get pregnant ever again, but I am! I have been blessed with an angel! My very own angel from Heaven.

 _Dear Diary,_

 _I gave birth to a baby girl today. She's so small! And precious! Little James was anything but little when he was born. She's about half his size! Her fingers are so tiny! But strong! She grabs hold of JT's fingers and won't let go. I have to laugh. JT was afraid to hold her, afraid he'd drop her. I showed him how to support her little head in the crook of his elbow. JT said that I was a natural mom._

 _I never told him about Little James… I've gotten too good at keeping secrets. I never told him about you Uncle James. Mama is keeping watch over you even though she's getting old now. JT and I talked at length and we've decided to name our baby girl after Mama. I wanted you to be the first to know. Thank you for being there for me Uncle James. I know it sounds strange, but aside from Mama, you've been the rock I've leaned on over the years. You got me through some of my most difficult days and nights. I wouldn't be here now, telling you of all my joy, if it weren't for you. I love you Uncle James._

Everyone was wiping tears from their eyes. Bucky was shaking his head, and he was trying to comprehend all of this. His heart and mind were overwhelmed. "I don't know if I'm worth all this Steve."

"It was evident in these pages that Mary's mom thought a lot of you."

"How? I was locked up in the freezer from the moment she first saw me. How could I have been there for her?"

"Steve's right you know. That poor woman went through a lot of pain, and the one constant in her life besides her mother was you. Even though you weren't physically able to comfort her, she transferred her feelings onto the one thing that never changed; you." Nat offered.

"How am I going to tell Mary her brother is dead? How did he even wind up with a broken neck?"

"I hate to go there with this, but maybe it wasn't an accident. We know someone was trying to kill Mary or Mary's mother at one point." Steve pointed out reluctantly.

"Oh my God! It was HYDRA. HYDRA sent someone to kill a child? Why, Steve, why? He was no threat."

"I….." Steve had nothing to offer.


	39. Chapter 39

The Curse of Dr. Zola

Chapter 39

"WHAT?" Pierce glared at the doctor. "How far along?"

"I estimate that she must have gotten pregnant right before Barnes was captured."

"So, less than 2 months."

"She should start exhibiting signs of morning sickness any day now, but not every woman suffers from it with their first."

"Does she know?"

The doctor shook his head. "It's obvious that she doesn't. Apparently her cycle is erratic, most likely due to overwhelming stress of…" The doctor licked his lips nervously. "Of things in her life." He didn't want to say that the constant threat of HYDRA looming over her could cause it. He wanted to live to see tomorrow; and the only thing standing between him and tomorrow was one word from Pierce to the Curse….'kill'.

"So, we can't subject her to a visit to the chair?"

"It'll cause her to miscarry for sure, plus if her mind is scrambled, she may not have sense enough to activate that stone."

"And the Curse can't beat her into cooperation."

The doctor shook his head.

"Where is she now?"

"She's in her room."

"Come with me."

The doctor followed him to her room, where Shawn still stood at the door.

"Open it."

Shawn opened the door and startled her awake. She sat up quickly, not knowing what was about to happen.

"Well, you passed your physical, but the doctor tells me that our usual methods of gaining your cooperation are out; therefore I implore you to cooperate."

"And I told you, I have no idea how to make the stone work. My mother kept it. I only ever remember it glowing for her a couple of times."

"What was she doing those times?"

"Once was at my grandmother's funeral. She was just standing there, crying. She'd just lost her mother. And then we got hit by a car, and my father was killed the same day."

"Ah, yes, that was Dottie. She was the other recipient of the serum."

Something fell into place for Mary. "Does she have red hair?"

"Yes, she does. HYDRA sent her after your mother, but that was before my time in charge." Pierce turned to Shawn. "He likes her. He likes her a lot. When she fails, he punishes her. He likes to choke her til she passes out, and then do you know what he likes to do?"

Pierce leaned close to her and whispered in her ear. When Mary pulled away Pierce instructed Shawn to hold her fast, and then he finished whispering in Mary's ear all the details of how Shawn punished her the last time.

"I only give him an hour; after all, I can't be too generous with his rewards. He'll think I've gone soft. I don't think we've actually timed him. Would you like to find out? I'll let you be our guinea pig. I think he'd enjoy testing himself against Barnes' stamina."

Mary struggled against his grip.

"All I want is your cooperation. Let's go down to the lab, shall we?" He indicated Shawn to bring her.

She struggled against his strength, but she couldn't get away. He practically dragged her down the hall.

Pierce opened the door himself and watched Mary get dragged in.

"Activate the stone!"

"I can't!" She started crying.

"Activate it! Now!"

"I don't know how!"

Pierce nodded to Shawn.

He grabbed her and slapped her. Tears ran down Mary's face from the sting.

Shawn transferred both of her wrists to his left hand and jerked her forward hard. She cried out at the pain in her shoulders. Shawn slapped her again, harder this time.

Dazed, her knees went out from under her and she fell over limply. He let her fall with a thump.

When her mind cleared, she scurried backwards to the corner, with Shawn trailing her like she was his prey.

He pulled her out of the corner by her ankles. He looked at Pierce, who nodded.

Shawn yanked her to her feet by grabbing her around her throat, and choking her.

"Stop!" Pierce commanded. "We don't want to kill her, remember that."

Shawn relaxed his grip a little and Mary coughed.

"Are you going to cooperate?"

"Yes." She whimpered.

"Activate the stone."

Mary closed her eyes and focused, but the stone would not glow. She tried so hard her nose began to bleed. With a heaving breath, she stopped. "I can't. It doesn't work for me."

"Try again."

She scratched at Shawn's hand helplessly.

"This is your last chance Mary."

"I don't know how!"

"This gives me no pleasure to let him hurt you, but if you want to avoid this unpleasantness, you need to cooperate."

"I'm trying!"

"You'd better try harder."

"I can't breathe!" She choked out.

Pierce sighed. "Release her."

Mary dropped to her knees and tried to get air into her burning lungs. Even his "gentle" grip cut her air off.

Her eyes focused on Shawn in terror. She just wasn't strong enough against him, so she had to come up with something before things got worse. "If you can give me time to practice, maybe something will click."

"I'll give you two days. You'd better come up with something. Take her back to her room and then report to room 1."

* * *

The doctors at what was left of SHIELD, examined Bucky's metal arm for hours.

Steve had convinced Bucky to have it checked, and Bucky reluctantly agreed.

Fury stood next to Steve during the exam.

"It's obvious that they had always intended to turn Bucky into a HYDRA agent, back then, and maybe they still thought about it recently. Why they let him go worries me. It couldn't have just been about Mary, could it?"

"I don't know Cap, but if there is some sort of device or tracker in that arm, we'll find it."

Bucky glanced helplessly at Steve while he sat and endured the exam. He flinched occasionally when they tested a wire inside and it zapped him.

"Did you feel that?" The technician asked.

"Yes! Why do you think I'm nearly jumping off the seat?"

"It's amazing! Somehow they managed to wire right into his nervous system."

Bucky yelped. "I don't think it's amazing, it hurts, damn it!"

"Sorry, but I have to be thorough."

"And that means me getting zapped over and over, I suppose?"

"What does it feel like, Buck?" Steve asked.

"It's like I stuck my fingers into the light socket! Repeatedly!" He jumped again.

"Well, I can't find any tracking devices inside, but the arm itself is quite functional, it literally does everything his real arm could do. The joints are very intricate, especially the fingers, and look what else it can do." He ushered them closer.

As they all peered intently at the arm, the technician activated the arm, and the plates of Bucky's forearm slid closed with a metallic snick.

"Apparently, it is to reinforce the structure to both protect the interior, and to give him extra strength."

"Great! So, now if I need to punch a hole in an elevator door, I'll be able to get my arm out intact."

"That seems to be the case."

"I was just joking."

"I was not."

"Really?"

"Really. Please try punching something."

Bucky stood up and went to the wall. He punched a huge hole in it, and pulled the arm out intact.

"Wow!" Steve's eyes went wide.

"You owe me a wall." Fury stated the obvious.

Bucky looked at it. "Sorry." He shook off the dust from his hand with a sheepish expression.

"So, why let him go? Why go through all the trouble of replacing his arm, if they decided not to use it?"

"Perhaps Mary was worth more to them."

"This is all nice that we're discussing this, but meanwhile, they've got Mary, and they are probably hurting her or torturing her right now. I've got to go after her."

Just then Maria Hill strode in. "Director, I have some urgent news."

All eyes turned to her.

"Yes, what it is?"

"Thor is here to see you."


	40. Chapter 40

The Curse of Dr. Zola

Chapter 40

Mary cried in her room for hours after they'd left. _How did mom make this work? I've got to find out! If I don't…._ She couldn't continue.

Pierce's description of Shawn raping that other woman rang in her ears, and she was a super soldier, similar to Bucky and Steve. Mary knew she'd never survive being raped by him. She was only human. If his brutality caused a super soldier to pass out… Mary shuddered.

She sat cross legged on her bed and pulled up her gift slowly. She was at her best when she remained calm. She didn't have any training when it came to the stone, so she tried everything she could think of, without success.

Mary sighed. She thought about the past. _How many times did mom try to get me to work on my training? How many times did I say no?_ The truth was that Mary didn't have the confidence she needed. Her mom wasn't the trainer she needed to be. Willa was more woman than agent, too soft, too caring. _My grandmother was the real hard nose._

It may have been painful for Mary to admit, but in her heart, she felt she just wasn't good enough. She had always tried to deny her gifts, relying only on her human body to get things done. Had she any real training, she could have lifted James up out of the basement without all the aggravation she'd gone through, but, again, she tried to deny its existence.

She could've helped Bucky more on his escapades, but she didn't.

She could've helped more in NYC against the alien creatures, but she didn't.

As tears began to fall down her cheeks, the truth came to her, and the truth was, she was afraid.

Her childhood had been fraught with fear. Her mother taught her to be afraid, instead of teaching her how to be brave. She always let Bucky take the lead in their life together, well, almost always. She'd lied to herself a lot, thinking everything she did was for Bucky's benefit, when it was only to make herself more comfortable.

Bucky was the first man she ever really trusted, but still, there was a part of her she hadn't shared with him.

There had been boyfriends as she negotiated her way in her life, but no one she felt comfortable with. She was always afraid that her gift would crop up and ruin everything. This fear kept her relatively isolated and as a result, she never really learned the social graces her peers learned. Bucky certainly possessed them. The charmingly easy way about him made people feel instantly at home and comfortable.

When she had first encountered him, she instantly took the lead. He was so helpless, shaken, and scared, that some instinct in her just took over. She had never experienced this before.

All the many nights they had spent in tutoring sessions as she taught him all about his new world were a delight to her. She loved how his eyes lit up and how the smile spread across his face. She fell under his spell almost immediately.

She remembered the first time he had kissed her. He'd been so excited about something, and he just kissed her without thinking. She was so shocked that she'd pulled away in confusion. It broke her heart when the joy vanished from his face. He apologized immediately, but she insisted that it wasn't his fault, that it was her fault.

She knew already that she loved him, but when he kissed her, it just confused her. Even with her gifts, she didn't sense any of his growing feelings towards her. She had lied to herself again, thinking he'd never be interested, that no one could ever be interested in her.

Their relationship changed after that, and they grew closer.

He was so gentle with her, so patient, so thoughtful the first night he slept in her bed. She was so shy, but their nervous laughter broke the ice some. She couldn't help but laugh when he remarked that he hadn't done this in almost 70 years and that she might have to tutor him!

Then, in her mind, she saw the last image of his face, as he was on the ground and she stood on board the jet as it lifted off. The terrified lost puppy look on his face broke her heart, but she had to save him. She loved him so much that she was willing to sacrifice her own life to save him.

She looked down as a tear dripped from her face and she saw the stone glowing. Her breath caught. She'd done it! _But how? How did I do it?_

* * *

As Thor wound up his tale, Maria Hill entered the room again.

"Yes?"

"There's a Lady Sif, here."

"Ah, yes, Lady Sif from Asgard."

Maria ushered her in.

"Why are you here? Has something gone wrong?" Thor asked her

"Your father sent me. We haven't much time."

"What is she talking about?" Bucky asked.

Sif took a breath. "I have a location on the stone."

"On the stone? You can track the stone on Mary's necklace?"

"Yes. Did you not tell them about the stone, Thor?"

"Your woman has the stone?" Thor seemed as confused about the stone as Sif was about the woman who possessed it.

"We must hurry. It has been activated. We must go now before it is moved again."

* * *

Fury, Steve and Bucky geared up and met at the quin jet hangar. Lady Sif and Thor joined them. When Thor insisted he could fly on his own, he was over-ruled in favor of keeping in tight communication with one another. Since it was logical, Thor agreed.

They piled into the jet and Lady Sif gave the coordinates to the pilot, Maria Hill.

Once they all had buckled themselves in, the jet lifted off and stealth mode was engaged.

Steve patted Bucky on his knee and gave him a reassuring glance. Bucky nodded wordlessly, finally feeling hopeful about getting Mary back. She'd been gone almost two weeks, and knowing how much torture he'd endured the first two weeks, his stomach was full not of butterflies, but tiny, biting ants.

* * *

Mary sat and tried to remember anything of what her mother had told her about the stone. She thought well into the night. Exhausted, she finally had to submit to sleep.

She dreamt about the stone during the night, seeing images from places she'd never been, people she didn't know, and floating among the stars. It felt so real to her, like she was really there.

As dawn approached, she dreamt of abstract images that made no sense; a craggy-faced man whose skin was blue, a talking raccoon, and a tiny tree that didn't need dirt.

She was startled awake by Shawn wrenching her out of bed and tossing her over his shoulder. "Time to go!"

She heard gunfire, lots of gunfire in the distance down the hall. Shawn jogged the opposite way and met up with Pierce.

"Take her to the roof. I'm right behind you. Get that jet warmed up and ready to go. "

Shawn nodded and ran to the stairwell. Mary bounced up and down roughly on her stomach, and just tried to breathe. Shawn slammed open the door to the roof only to be confronted by Fury, Sif and Bucky. They stood between the jet and the door.

Shawn slowly lowered her to the ground. "If you stop me, I will kill her where she stands." He clutched her throat tightly. Mary clawed at his hand, desperate to breathe, and tried to keep her balance on her tip-toes.

"If you hurt her in any way, you won't leave here alive." Bucky countered back.

Shawn just smiled. "It wouldn't bother me a bit to kill her; in fact, it would be so easy for me to just snap her neck."

"I'm asking you to just let her go."

"No. You will let me pass, and get into the jet."

"If you let her go, you can pass unharmed."

Shawn just shook his head. "The girl goes with me. She was promised to me. She is my reward and I intend to take her. If she's still alive after I'm done, I'll take her again."

Bucky turned red with anger at the implication. He vowed that Mary would not be sullied by him.

"They should have kept you, Barnes, that way you could have watched."

Bucky screamed with rage, and bolted forward.

He only got a few steps before Thor flew in from the other direction and knocked Shawn and Mary down.

Shawn got to his feet quickly, and met Bucky hand to hand. The two men struggled as Mary rolled away. She coughed violently, and tried to suck in air.

Fury covered the jet while Sif picked Mary up effortlessly and pulled her away from danger.

She watched in horror as Bucky and Shawn fought furiously. Both men were skilled at their trades. But Bucky was fighting for something, Shawn fought because he was trained to.

Every blow Bucky endured made Mary's heart lurch in her chest, but he didn't stop trying to fight back.

Fury aimed his gun at the combatants as Thor came to a landing, but they were in too close proximity to each other.

Pierce burst onto the roof, took one look and decided it was best if he left; except that Steve and Maria Hill now blocked his way back. He struck out at Maria first, knocking her backwards. Before Steve could step in, Fury put three bullets into him.

As he fell to the ground, he whispered two words. "Hail, HYDRA."

Gunfire erupted from the open doorway, and Steve dove one way, while Maria dove in the opposite direction.

Thor deflected most of the bullets as he flew to the doorway. Behind him, all he heard were the grunts and groans of the two men in combat. Unfortunately, he missed one. It struck Bucky in his right leg and he went down. Shawn pressed his advantage and kicked him. Bucky howled in pain.

Thor flung his hammer at Shawn, but Shawn was too quick, and it missed, tumbling to the floor.

Sif went to reach for it, even knowing in the back of her mind that she wouldn't be able to lift it, but another hand got to it first.

Without thinking, Mary picked up the hammer and ran with it towards Shawn, amidst a hail of bullets.

Bucky was on his back and tried to roll away from Shawn. Shawn sensed victory as he stomped down hard on Bucky's leg. Bucky screamed.

As Shawn prepared to stomp again, he belatedly sensed someone coming up behind him. As he turned, Mary swung Thor's hammer for all she was worth. The stone glowed bright orange as she connected. All her focus was behind the hammer, all her love radiating out for the man on the ground.

Shawn stumbled backwards awkwardly. He tried to keep his balance as his feet shuffled on the roof, but he couldn't. As he tilted wildly over the edge of the roof, he remembered where he'd seen her face before. It had the same shape and features of a little blond boy that he'd been sent to kill almost 50 years ago.

He disappeared out of sight, soundlessly.

Mary fell to her knees beside Bucky and flung herself on top of him.


	41. Chapter 41

The Curse of Dr. Zola

Chapter 41

They all sat in the lounge at Stark Tower in New York City.

Steve, Thor, Lady Sif, Fury, Bucky, Maria and Mary were joined by Tony, Rhodey, Sam, Nat, Clint and Dr. Banner.

"Now, let me get this straight. This little thing here picked up Thor's hammer and knocked The Curse into the middle of next week?" Tony asked.

Fury nodded. "Right off the roof!"

"That's impossible. We all sat here and tried to pick that damn thing up and couldn't. How is this even possible?"

"I have the answer to that question." Sif supplied. "Apparently, when Odin was much younger, he fell in love with a Midgardian. This was before he met Frigga. Of course, this was several thousand years ago. Her blood has been diluted over the millennia, but Odin's blood still runs in her family."

Thor looked from Sif to Mary. "So, you are actually my relative?"

"It appears so, but several generations apart."

"You have the heart and soul of an Asgardian, and you are welcome to come any time. I'm sure Father will be happy to see you."

"So, what's going to happen to the Soul-Stone, Thor?"

"It is going to be hidden away and kept safe, have no fear."

"I nearly killed myself trying to activate it, and yet, it glowed all on its own. What did I do wrong?"

"According to legend, there are several Infinity Stones. They were scattered among the stars because they were too powerful for any one being to control. In mortal hands they would kill whoever held them."

"Then why am I alive?"

"You have Asgardian blood in your veins, that's why you are alive. It is rumored that only those with pure souls can wield the stone. A sacrifice must be made to begin the activation. From what you told me, you sacrificed yourself to save the man you loved. There is no greater sacrifice. And there's something peculiar about the metal that encases it. Our people will look at it before it is hidden away."

"And what about the Curse?"

Fury shook his head. "We couldn't find him. If he somehow survived the fall….."

Mary shook her head. "That poor man! He was tortured into fighting for HYDRA all these years. If my grandmother hadn't saved Bucky…"

Bucky squeezed her shoulder gently. "It would have been me. I would have been the Curse. Your grandmother told me because she rescued me; she had condemned another man in my place. It was him."

"I checked into the history of the 107th. After I went down in the plane, Shawn was recaptured by the Nazi's. I assume they turned him over to HYDRA shortly thereafter. By the way, Buck, your Congressional Medal of Honor is being re-issued and President Ellis is to present it to you personally in DC next month." Steve added.

"Are any of the Howling Commandos still alive?"

Steve shook his head.

"That medal belongs to them, not me."

"So, wear it for them, in their memory." Mary kissed Bucky on the cheek.

Bucky nodded.

Mary stood up and announced she needed another glass of Coke.

Fury excused himself a moment later and joined her at the bar fridge. He held out his glass for a refill.

She tossed in some fresh ice and tipped the bottle.

"When are you going to tell him?"

Mary looked at Fury and smiled.

After they had returned to New York, Mary had undergone a physical exam, well, they all had, and that's when they discovered Mary was pregnant. Bucky's leg had been fixed up but he was well on his way to recovery, thanks to his super soldier serum. They had spent about a week under medical supervision before they were cleared to leave.

"How about right now?"

He walked her back to the group and sat down.

Mary stood, one hand on a hip, and the other swirling her drink around. She stared right at Bucky until he began to squirm uncomfortably. Inside, she secretly enjoyed that.

"What?" Bucky asked her. He had that same guilty feeling any time he'd been called to his CO's presence.

"I want to know when you're going to make an honest woman of me, since our plans fell through." She put her coke down on the table.

Bucky coughed and stammered out an unintelligible answer.

"Hmmmm….I didn't hear that."

"I thought it didn't matter to you."

"When our baby is born, it just might."

"What?" He sat up straight.

"I'm pregnant! You're going to be a father."

"I'm what?" Bucky jumped up. "Really?"

"Really!" She nodded.

Bucky howled at the top of his lungs, picked Mary up and twirled her around. "I'm going to be a father! Did you hear that Steve? We're going to have a baby!" He put Mary down and smacked Steve on his shoulder.

"It's a girl."

Bucky stopped short.

Fury frowned. "It's too early to tell."

"Not for me." She placed her hand below her navel, and closed her eyes momentarily. "I can tell already."

Bucky fell to his knees in front of her, and gently placed a hand over hers. "We're going to have a daughter?"

Mary nodded.

Bucky pulled Mary to him and embraced her. He rested his head against her belly. All was right with the world.

* * *

He wrapped his shirt sleeve around his arm loosely and inserted sticks underneath the cloth. He stuck one end of fabric into his mouth, and braced it while he tightened it with his free hand. His scream pierced the darkness.

He had no idea how long he'd been walking, where he was, or even who he was. Instinct drove him onward. He knew enough to secure the broken bone in his arm, but beyond that, he was lost.

Shawn Murphy staggered on into the night and looked for shelter. He found a craggy nook in the rock, protected from the wind, and wedged his body into it. He fell asleep almost at once…and dreamt of home.

* * *

A/N; I'll be posting the epilogue next week. I just wanted to say "Thank you", to those reading and or reviewing. I hope you've enjoyed the story.


	42. Chapter 42-Epilogue

The Curse of Dr. Zola

Epilogue

SHIELD mopped up the last of the HYDRA base. They arrested those who were still there and rescued a female prisoner from a cell. She had bruises on her and was found naked. They kindly gave her a blanket to wrap around her, as they had no clothes. She was told she would be looked after and cared for. She nodded her head, a scared expression on her face. Her red hair was a tangled mess, and she started to cry. "They….they kept me in there…There was this man and he….he….did awful things…." She burst into tears.

Two female SHIELD members walked her to the jet and reassured her that she was safe now. "What's your name?"

"My name is…."

Steve, Bucky and Mary returned home. Agent 13, Kate, escorted them. She was going to stay 24/7 for about a month, just to make sure Mary was okay and have a female presence, in case she needed someone to talk to.

Steve's 2 bedroom cottage had been completed, but he spent most of his time at Mary and Bucky's house, and in the company of Kate.

Mary cried at the news about her older brother, and how he was targeted by HYDRA and killed. She couldn't understand why they felt so threatened that they had to kill a child. Bucky held her in a gentle embrace.

Together, they read more of Willa's journals. There were still unanswered questions even after they read them all. Tony promised that he would come up and look for hidden compartments. In different places more books would be found, but until then, they discussed all the mysteries and theories amongst themselves.

In the bedroom, Mary's teddy bear sat and kept a silent vigil, as he waited for the next child to love him and keep her company, the next child to whom he was "real". He had been loved by three generations so far, and patiently waited for the next little girl. His fur was a little threadbare, his eyes were a little loose, but a loving child would never see these things, all she would see is a friend.

Inside the bear, hidden from view, tucked safely away, was a tiny chip of orange stone glowing softly, contentedly.

Kate accompanied the threesome to the Camp Shanks museum. She took photos of them posing in front of the directional sign, and in various other spots inside and outside of the museum. Mary insisted that Kate and Steve pose together. Bucky made faces at them to get them to laugh, but Mary knew better. She could feel something more than friendship blossoming.

It took a few rounds but Mary was finally able to pick out the house she lived in. They parked across the street and took a photo discreetly.

"You lived there in the basement Bucky."

"It feels strange to look at it when I can't remember it."

Mary kissed him. "Don't worry, you were always surrounded by love."

He smiled at her, and put a hand on her expanding belly. "I certainly am now."

Mary and Bucky talked it over and they decided that the most appropriate place to get married was where Bucky's long journey began – Camp Shanks. They got permission from the Fire Department to hold a small wedding ceremony behind the firehouse.

When word had gotten round about Bucky being Captain America's best friend, and after his Medal of Honor Ceremony, they agreed to host.

Back at Camp Shanks, the firehouse now stood roughly where the telephone communication building had stood back in the 1940's. Bucky and thousands of soldiers would have passed by here on a near daily basis.

The Fire Chief presented Bucky with an honorary membership, much to Bucky's embarrassment, but he accepted it with the grace he naturally came by.

Mary insisted Bucky wear his Army uniform. It had to be re-created for the ceremony and altered slightly to accommodate his metal arm, but it was completed in time.

Bucky had cut his hair back to make the look complete, but Mary whispered in his ear that she wanted him to grow it back out. "That's an order Sergeant!"

Bucky straightened up and gave her a salute that would make any military man proud. Steve hid a smile.

Mary was showing by now, so she opted out of the traditional white dress for a simple pink dress she sewed herself. It was a knee-length handkerchief hem dress of baby pink, with a lace over lay on the bottom half. The top half was a modest scoop neck with short sleeves. It was adorned with a random pattern of tiny pearls. She opted for pink ballet slippers.

Instead of a traditional veil, she hand-made a hair clip using pink birdcage netting to represent the veil part, and made a pearl and lace bow to center it. In the back, she put lace cupping to hold her hair up off her shoulders.

She had to make all this at Steve's house so Bucky wouldn't get nosy and see it ahead of time. It wasn't easy keeping him from nosing around either! But luckily, Steve was up to the task.

On the day of the wedding, Mary arrived early and dressed in a small tent set up for that purpose. Bucky had a small tent of his own on the opposite side of the wedding awning.

All the Avengers arrived and milled around drinking non-alcoholic drinks. Mary insisted against "adult beverages" being served during the ceremony. At the nearby reception being held a scant half mile away at a local hotel, guests would have the option to purchase drinks and stay overnight.

Steve opted to wear his Army uniform in his role as Best Man.

Mary didn't have any close female friends to fill the role as Maid of Honor, so she chose Kate. It seemed fitting as Steve would be walking together with her anyway.

Mary dismissed the traditional role of having someone "give her away." Instead, she asked her mother's oldest friend and attorney to act as escort. The old man accepted graciously. Mary swore she saw tears in his eyes at the honor.

There a few attending that were not in the Avengers circle; retired Detective Collins, who had returned her teddy bear, among others.

They decided on a Justice of the Peace as their officiant, who called the attendees to be seated. He spoke a few words while Steve escorted Bucky to the front of the tent and left to escort the attorney to Mary's tent.

He offered Kate his arm, and she took it to walk down between the two sections of chairs. Kate stood to one side and Steve took his place next to Bucky. "You remembered the ring, right?"

Bucky patted his pockets frantically until Steve pulled the ring out of his pocket. Steve turned beet red trying not to laugh at Bucky's panicked search. Bucky cuffed him on the back of his head. "Jerk."

Steve smiled. "Punk."

They all watched for the tent flap to move, and when it did, all of the guests rose.

Mary trembled the whole way down the short aisle; pink carnations in her left hand and a tissue in the right to catch tears of nervousness and joy.

Bucky had opted to wear a black fingerless glove on his metal hand, and unbeknownst to Bucky, Mary adorned her left hand with a pink fingerless glove.

They completed the short walk, and Willa's old friend gave Mary a short bow, before he let go.

Bucky extended his left hand to her, and she accepted, wiggling her left fingers to catch his eye. He looked on in surprise and chuckled to himself.

They decided on a simple and brief ceremony, with an equally simple exchange of vows.

Since Bucky couldn't wear a ring on his left hand, Mary surprised him by tugging at his dog tag chain and securing his ring onto it. Then it was his turn.

Bucky struggled to remove her glove, and she giggled at his dilemma. "Couldn't make it easy for me, could you?" Her giggle turned into a laugh, and those in attendance began to chuckle in response. Bucky turned red with embarrassment.

As he was about to put her ring on her finger, the firehouse whistle blared. Mary cracked up laughing. Then Steve started to laugh. Everyone followed suit til the whole place was roaring with laughter.

They had to wait until the trucks left to continue, and Mary composed herself.

Finally, with the ring on, they were declared husband and wife.

"You may kiss the bride, Sergeant, and that's an order."

Bucky sharply saluted the man. "Yes, sir!"

Bucky brushed Mary's veil up, gently took her in his arms and kissed her sweetly. Everyone rose from their seats and applauded. Bucky and Mary made their way to the car that would transport them to the reception down the road.

Across the street, sitting in a stolen car, sat Shawn Murphy. He couldn't recall her name, but he recognized the blond bride, and remembered a small blond haired boy, so full of energy. He remembered the trusting look on his tiny face, even as he snapped his neck. "I'm so sorry, little one, I'm so very sorry." He whispered to no one as a single tear rolled down his cheek.

The End


End file.
